Nine - Reminisce
by TwistedSpace
Summary: There are three ways to survive in this world. The powerful will conquer. The smart will rule. And the useful... well, they're just useful. Kyu, an ordinary child, is drawn into the cruel world of Nen users at the tender age of seven. How will she survive alongside her family's murderer? This is set prior to Gon's entry in the Hunter exam. No pairings. (OC story)
1. Chapter 1

**I DO NOT OWN HUNTER X HUNTER OR ANY OF THE CHARACTERS IN THE ANIME/MANGA NOR DO I OWN THE WORLD OF HUNTERS. I ONLY OWN MY OC HEI, SO PLEASE KEEP OFF MY BUTT CYBER POLICE~!**

**Hey guys! I'm going to practice my writing skills and hopefully expand my vocabulary by creating my on fanfic! I'm not a big fan of romance so you won't be seeing any soppy love stories here ^.^' **

**This is my first story so please hold the rotten tomatoes!(Unless you really must.)**

**" is used for speech and italics are for thoughts.**

**Enjoy and please review!**

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_"Don't hold grudges, they'll hurt you more in the end."_

_"But...!"_

_"If you keep bearing grudges like this, you'll only bring ruin to your life. Promise me that you won't hold a grudge towards anyone no matter what they do or say. You're a smart child, so don't waste your talents on something as pointless as revenge."_

_"Your mother's right Hei. I don't want to hear any more complaints from Fugan-san or the parents of the children you beat up."_

_"Okay... I promise you mother... but only because I love the two of you most."_

_"That's a a good girl. Let's have a big family hug to seal the promise."_

_"I love you mother, father!"_

* * *

"Mother I'm leaving for Fugan's house now! Don't wait for me for lunch, I'll catch my own."

"Don't run so soon after breakfast Hei, appendicitis is not something you're immune to. Remember your manners around Fugan-san young miss! He may be your uncle but you should have some respect for the person who's tutoring you. Come home before sunset or the old man will be afraid that his _precious _little daughter has been trafficked off to some foreign country and-"

"-and sold into slavery." My father interrupted curtly as he ran his hand through his jet black hair and ebony eyes that ran through our family.

Laughter rang through the house as our little family started a day not unlike any other. I would be sent off to Fugan, my father's brother, to learn 'martial arts' (a pretty way of putting downright dirty fighting techniques to fool my mother because she didn't approve of me involved in violence) while my mother would take charge of the housework and my father did his duties as the 'breadwinner' of the family. God knows what he does; all ever answers when I ask is:

"I'll tell you when you're older. Hmm... What I mean is when you're more _mature._"

I rolled my eyes and hastily shut the door on our little hut. The forest air was refreshing but what I really desired was a fresh blast of cold air to wake me up. Light peeked through dense canopy of the forest we lived in. There was no telling what time it was now and I'm not in the mood to climb the tree I usually use to check the position of the sun. I loved the private training Fugan taught me when he didn't have classes to teach the village children and I was not willing to miss a minute of it. None of that martial arts orderly stuff thank you very much, what I enjoyed was the adrenaline that rushed through my arteries from free sparring.

_Judging by the light and temperature... early morning? Perfect._

Hurriedly I tied my hair into a messy low ponytail as I weaved between the forest shrubbery and made my way along the small creek that lead from our house to Fugan's.

_Stupid hair! I don't know why these bloody bangs always fly into my face no matter how fast I'm going. At least my fringe stays curled up on the top of my head._

But seriously who cares about hair? There's no one here to judge my on my looks apart from the occasional tree-turtle and long-tailed deer that populate the forest. I grabbed a blur of red that flew past and took a bite.

"BLURGH. I _hate_ apples! Why couldn't this be a stupid Bronbi-Fruit instead?" I grumbled as I spat out the disgusting fruit. Why anyone could eat that stuff was beyond me. Apples just taste plain nasty to me.

While I was still trying to spit out the taste of the abominable red pome that I mistakenly consumed, a gap in the dense mess of was getting rapidly closer. The forest opened up into a small plain of short grass circular in shape and about 50 metres from one end to the other. Almost instantly my eyes were blinded by early morning sunlight, which is in my opinion, not early enough sunlight. As my eyes slowly adjusted and the black spots faded away, I squinted to make out the shape humble little house of my uncle Fugan.

"Early as usual I see little Hei. So eager for a beating so early in the morning?" He shouted at me as he stepped out of his house and tossed his lynx-fur jacket onto the ground.

In the 2 years I spent training with him I was in denial of how he managed to come out precisely when I arrived. I suspect that he felt me coming _waaay_ before I arrived but my theory has never been confirmed thus far in time. I'd tried everything. Treading quietly through the forest path, coming out of the forest at different places, rolling around the leaf litter on the forest floor to cover my scent, you name it, I've done it. I even went as far as holding my breath as soon as I set out from home, a full 10 minutes. Yet he **STILL** manages to do it **EVERY SINGLE TIME**. Not knowing how he did it was infuriating and completely unacceptable to my ego.

"Hah! Like you can even beat me when I'm not holding back you old git. Underestimate me and I'll have my teeth around your neck in a second." I pouted.

"Whatever makes you sleep at night. You should be more respectful towards your superiors Hei. A master wouldn't want to share his secrets with one who does not please him." He mused and gave me that annoying half-smile.

I growled at his (crappy) wisdom and countered with a "Tch."

"Hei, you're baring your teeth at and growling like an animal again... What did your mother say about acting more _human_?" He stressed the word 'human' in the same manner as my mother (which I find EXTREMELY annoying). "I always did warn her about raising you like a wild child," he continued with a sigh.

"You d*ck!" I snarled in mock rage and charged towards him and started throwing punches and kicks into his quick guard. Aiming my attacks at vital points like the neck/throat, eyes and head while throwing the occasional jab at his abdomen and sneaking a few kicks 'under the belt' I tried to knock that smug look off his face. For a good teacher he had one hell of an annoying personality. He swiftly blocked and dodged all of my attacks and made a snide remark about where I aimed.

_Crack!_ I felt my jaw dislocating as one of his punches connected directly with my cheekbone. The force of the punch sent me flying back and I tumbled a few metres before coming to an ungraceful stop on my face. His left hook was as fast as ever, and just as accurate.

"Dah ooh! Aye ehri tihnnn! (Damn you! Why every time!)" Holding the sides of my jaw using my thumbs I snapped my jaw back into place and proceeded to glare at Fugan.

"Really Hei. How many times is it now? Do you ever stop falling for the same trick?" Now he was mocking me too. What a wonderful teacher...

Fugan picked up the previously discarded jacket and casually flung it over his shoulder. I frowned. This session seemed shorter than our usual ones.

"Let's end the practice for now. I'm expecting a visitor soon so run along now little niece."

Grumbling quiet complaints I hoisted my bruised body from the ground and trudged back into the forest. There's no arguing with Fugan once he decides on something, that stupid strong blockhead.

Taking in all the scents around me with a deep breath and listened to the sounds of nature. The slow munching of the tree turtles as they feasted on the leaves above me, shrillmunks chittering away at each other, ah! The unmistakable heavy footfalls of my friend, a two-headed burgundy lynx, was headed this way. I grinned from ear to ear as my slightly clumsy feline fellow came sliding out of the undergrowth a minute later and bend down to exchange a friendly nose-rub. About a year ago, he jumped out at me when I was heading to Fugan's place hoping for an easy meal. I overpowered him with ease and let him retreat into the undergrowth because I really love predatory animals, even if they are trying to gobble me up for lunch.

He came back the second day and tried the same thing. And the next day. And the next. Eventually he stopped pouncing on me right away and instead followed me as I walked through the forest. The 'lil guy would not quit following me while constantly growling at my back, with both throat and stomach. I got tired of him scaring away everything I was trying hunt myself, and decided to share some of my lunch with the stubborn cat. It didn't take long for him trust me and eventually we acknowledged each other as friends.

It didn't feel right to name him, because in my opinion wild things should not be named if they are to stay wild. My respect for the lynx did not allow me to assert my possession over him.

_Ah~ He's so soft and silky. He's been hunting well lately._

Together we headed to our usual spot, a larger patch of sunlight that warmed a large boulder at noon. Grabbing a few berries from a nearby bush I popped each one into my mouth as I began to daydream and reminisce. My friend plonked himself beside me and basked in the warm afternoon sun as well, letting out the occasional purr that was uncharacteristically cute of such a powerful predator.

* * *

_"Mother, why do the other village children never come around to play? Do they not like us?"  
_

_My mother smiled gently and scooped me up into her lap. "No Hei, we just live in a secluded area that is filled with dangerous creatures."  
_

_"What's 'secluded' mother?"_

_"If something is secluded then it's in a place hard to get to."_

_"Oh." I frowned at this funny statement, because I found it relatively easy to get to school at Uncle Fugan's little plain and back._

_"Hei, let me tell you a bit about our family. We're a bit different to the other parents in these woods and you're different to the other children who attend Uncle's school-"_

_"Why? I don't feel any different..."_

_"...Our family has some... traits. Our ancestors came from a different land that's far, far away from here. They were very strong and had the same dark hair and light-sensitive black eyes as us. They also had very strong bodies and organs, their teeth and digestive systems in particular. We've inherited the same traits as them. It's why you-"_

_I squeezed my eyes shut as she poked my nose.  
_

* * *

_"-have never gotten sick before even from eating all those sticks and rocks. Our teeth and jaws can rush almost any material and our stomachs can digest whatever goes down our gullet, food or poison. There are bad people out there who are jealous of what we have and want to take it away from us, which is why we live so far inside the forest. Your father is very protective of you, and he means it when he says to be careful around strangers."_

After my mother told me our strengths, I made it my mission to taste anything I came across since it couldn't hurt. It's proven quite useful for preparing the meat I catch in the forest. It's my pride to say I have tasted almost every fruit, herb, root, leaf and berry in this forest. The only things I never tried were the rocks and sticks on the ground because dude, I do care about hygiene.

I felt myself floating further into a dreamy state as the light above me grew dimmer. When I finally felt it was time to head back home, I got up and brushed off several leaves that had fallen on my lap. I wasn't surprised to find the rusty-red feline already gone. He was on his schedule, which is none of my business.

A thin smell of burnt something was emanating from the direction of home.

_Oh boy... Mother's gone and burnt dinner again..._ I sighed as I headed back swiftly in hope that she hadn't managed to ruin the chicken I was looking forward to eating.

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**There we go! A nice introductory chapter that took... what, two days? Like I mentioned before this is a _very_ OC fanfic, and the actual Hunter X Hunter characters will be appearing in the next chapter.**

**I should mention this is set some 8-9 years before Gon participates in the Hunter Exams. :D**

**Once again, please review and provide me with some feedback! **


	2. Chapter 2

**I DO NOT OWN HUNTER X HUNTER OR ANY OF THE CHARACTERS IN THE ANIME/MANGA NOR DO I OWN THE WORLD OF HUNTERS. I ONLY OWN MY OC HEI, SO PLEASE KEEP OFF MY BUTT CYBER POLICE~!**

**Here comes the bloody bit. I know I promised to include the Hunter X Hunter characters in this chapter but it got a bit long. I did mention one in subtle way... so peace! Next chapter I promise! .  
**

**Please don't forget to R&R!**

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* * *

The flecks of light dancing across the trees gradually grew scarce, signalling the end of the day. Deciding against hurrying back to a scolding for getting home late, I sauntered down the narrow dirt path instead of running like usual. A heavy blanket of silence had fallen upon the forest, smothering the racket of insects that can usually be heard at sun-down.

_Huh?_

I could smell the same burnt smell coming from another direction. In fact, the smoke was almost visible and seemed to be coming from the direction of every house in our little scattered village.

_Is it national Burn-your-dinner day today or what? I sure as hell hope no one started a scheduled burning without notifying the rest of us... It'd better not be that little brat Tian again. I warned him- no, -_threatened _him to not play with a magnifying glass near rubbing alcohol or I would get over there and strangle him myself._

I sighed. Dinner will need to be postponed. Safety over food, whether my parents liked it or not. I pick up my pace and changed my destination to Tian's house, where the 5 year old lived with his grandmother. Grumbling threats and all sorts of pain I would inflict upon him if it was his fault a fire had started, I arrived at the little opening in the forest. Hmph. Looks like I was right.

Their little hut was aflame and burning quickly, although the fire was not great and looked like it had barely started an hour ago. All the houses in our widespread village are made from rubberwood, a common tree in this forest which was very heat-resistant. It burned more slowly than common wood and did not attract any nasty bugs.

Without wasting any time to shout to him or alert the other villagers, I took matters into my own hand. Grabbing a small washcloth from their clothesline and dipping it in a nearby creek I armed myself with a bucket of water and charged into the door of the hut.

"Oomph!" To my surprise, the door was unlocked and slightly ajar. I flew right through the doorway and tripped on something on the ground. The bucket of water also flew through the doorway in a low arch, ultimately bouncing off my head with a sickly 'thunk' and spilling all the water onto my face. Some of the water trickled down my shirt and along the floor, creating little rivers along the cracks of the wooden floor.

_...My head really hurts... That bucket is heavier than I thought..._

As I sat up I saw something red stained the palm of my hand. My eyebrows knotted together as I stared, not remembering when I touched my head or any smoke grew thicker by the second and it was becoming harder to breath even with the wet mask on. I needed to find Tian and his elderly grandmother before the fire spread even more.

Fugan spent a week teaching all the children in the village about fire safety because we lived in an environment prone to forest fires. The most hazardous thing about fire was the smoke, and not the fire itself. The smoke has toxins which can damage your lungs and forces oxygen out of the air. The concentration of oxygen in biosphere is usually 21%, below 17% a human will experience impaired judgement and coordination. Under 9% and you'll be unconscious. Under 6% and you're a goner. Right now I'm already starting feel dizzy and nauseous, and it probably isn't because the bucket high-fived my head. My guess is the oxygen is already down to 13% or 14% and if I didn't get the elderly woman out now she'd suffer some permanent lung damage.

Suddenly a small part of the thatched roof caved in about 2 metres to my left. The room lit up dimly from the flaming debris. One look was enough to freeze me where I sat. The fire, the smoke and the water trickling down my back seemed to disappear. My breath was caught in my throat and I could not move my gaze from the two dismembered bodies of the poor 5-year-old boy and his grandmother.

Their faces wore the horrified expressions from the moment they died, wide-eyed and in fear. The thing I had tripped over when I entered was nothing other than little Tian's arm, bloody and mutilated. They both had tears streaming from their blank, dead eyes, a fragment of the pain their felt as they were tortured to death. Blood splattered on the walls in thin streaks and was already clotting on the clothes of the dead.

The rustic smell of blood and body fluids was smothered by the smoke when I first entered, explaining why I couldn't smell it when I barged in. The smell resembled the scent of freshly hunted prey, ready to be savoured and-

Disgusted and horrified at myself I was finally able to move and breathe. I rushed out from the fiery nightmare and ran from the clearing until I could run no more. I closed my eyes as I tried to erase the gruesome sight from my memory but to no avail. The images flashed behind my closed eyelids and the smell of blood trapped itself inside my nose. My stomach muscles locked and the contents of my lunch escaped from my gullet.

_Bleuuurghh... pant... pant... pant..._

I tried to catch my breath but sight of the fleshy lumps only made me more sick. My mind was in a complete scramble in this situation no 7-year-old girl should ever be faced with. Slowly, surely, I managed to calm my racing heart and start thinking with reason.

There were too many questions I didn't have the answer to.

_Who did it? How could they be so cruel? When were they killed? Are we being attacked? And the big question is, why?_

My heart, which I had tried so very hard to stop from jumping out of my chest, suddenly felt like a rock sinking into my gut. It stood to reason that Tian wasn't the only one to be killed and have their house burned down judging by how much smoke there was in the forest. Our family home is the furthest one from the rest of the village houses built along the creek.

_How many more neighbors am I to find ripped apart in their homes... Mother, Father, please be ok..._I thought as I headed to next house.

This time I was ready for the worst. The door of the Chou family, ripped from its hinges and the house burning in the rear. I took a reluctant peek inside the house and immediately regretted it. Bile rose inside my oesophagus when I saw the family of 4 brutally murdered. By the looks of it the father of the family had tried to fight back and protect the two children before he was beheaded by something sharp.

_These marks on the wall... a thin sword?_

There was nothing I could do for these people. Not now. As much as I wanted to drag their bodies our and bury them I didn't have the time to. Who knew how many more there were further down the creek? The answer?

Many more.

When I got to the 5th burning house I didn't bother to check whether there was anyone alive anymore. I knew that if I were to look inside any of these dark doorways I would find a burning scene painted in blood; hell itself. So instead I grit my teeth and force my tired legs to keep running. Despair welled up higher with each dead family I pass. This wasn't just murder, I'm sure of it now.

This is a massacre.

However much I tried to deny myself of what I should expect to find at the very last house, I couldn't blind my mind of reality. For the first time in my life I felt paranoid of everything, every shadow, every rustling of leaves held an unseen danger, an unseen aggressor ready to tear me apart like they had done to everyone else.

_I can't afford to lose it now! Focus, Hei! Focus on what you should be doing instead of thinking about stupid things. You're smarter than the other children of your age so don't break at something so trivial. ...But this is hardly trivial is it? Not like my average broken ankle or wrist problem, nothing easily fixed. Everyone... everyone is gone..._

Panic turned into hysterics. High-pitched laughter tried to force its way through my gritted teeth. I keep running faster and faster to take my mind off it.

_I'm on the verge of falling into madness...__ If only I were like the other children. So innocent and oblivious. How would they react to something this? Cry for their mothers? Piss themselves? Or perhaps cuddle into a nice ball of quivering fear.  
_

A sad smile crossed my face as I thought this.

_If only I could do the same. I can't stop my body and mind from moving. But they can't do anything now. The dead remain powerless... So what am I supposed to do? Take revenge? For what? Hurting someone else wouldn't bring them back to life. Plus, I doubt I can take on that many people at once.  
_

Without knowing it, I skipped past the last 3 huts and came to a jarring halt in front of the the cosy little hut I spent my 7 years of life in. Or at least, what was left of it. Whereas the other houses suffered minor damage and burned, my home looked as if it had been torn to pieces. Furniture strewn across the garden, pieces of burning wood here and there. Seeing what was in front of my was like reliving the moment I fell inside Tian's house. Only much more brutal and shocking.

They were both dead.

Father's torso sliced open, major organs ripped out. Mother in a similar state but missing all of her fingers. I understood what happened here in a few moments. The greedy people mother warned me about had finally found us. Father tried to fight them off but was killed and his organs were stolen from his body. Mother... she was tortured before she was killed and had her organs ripped out too.

I gnash my teeth so hard one side of my lip is pierced by one of my sharp canines. There was no trying to hold back the tears building up in my eyes. The urge to kill and maim someone for revenge hit me harder than ever before.

The ground drew closer without me noticing; more accurately, without my caring. My knees gave up on me just like Lady Luck.

_I'll rip them all apart! Every single one of them, and return everything they've given to my parents; no, my entire village. _

* * *

___"Don't hold grudges, they'll hurt you more in the end."_

* * *

Her voice rang out inside my fevered mind. I turned my head slowly to take one last look at the corpses of my loved ones and whispered one last vow to them.

_"I promise that, no matter what happens, I won't hurt someone for the sake of revenge."_

Picking my body and feeling like one of the corpses myself, I caught my reflection on the creek's surface. What stared back at me were two dead-looking sunken eyes, red from the crying. I didn't feel the grief that had threatened to break my mind a few minutes ago. Maybe my mind was already broken; it didn't matter either way.

_I need to find Fugan. I need him to survive this nightmare._

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**I hope that wasn't too cliche for all you critics out there. I'm thinking about changing into third person in the next chapter, just so it's easier to write some humor into this. **

**Just wondering, but should I change the rating into M? I'm pretty new to this ^.^'**


	3. Chapter 3

**I DO NOT OWN HUNTER X HUNTER OR ANY OF THE CHARACTERS IN THE ANIME/MANGA NOR DO I OWN THE WORLD OF HUNTERS. I ONLY OWN MY OC HEI, SO PLEASE KEEP OFF MY BUTT CYBER POLICE~!**

**Guess who appears in this chapter? I've tried my best to recreate his personality and his speaking patterns but I don't think I've done it right. Sorry to everyone out there that cares!**

**Sorry no bed pairings (if this means what I think it does) with ANYONE. **

**Also this chapter changes to third person some way through. There are several reasons why, go figure. It's mostly because I need the practice.  
**

**Anyway, enjoy the story and don't forget to R&R!**

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_I need to find Fugan. I need him to survive this nightmare._

* * *

For what seemed like an eternity, I listened to my heavy footfalls hitting dry sticks and leaves. My mind blank as a slate, with a body running on autopilot. I only have one goal right now; to find Fugan. Refraining my mind from wandering off the current goal staunched the grief and madness like a temporary painkiller.

All of a sudden the forest lit up with a bright light like the earth had swung itself halfway across its orbit around the sun and turned night into day. Squinting and shielding my eyes at the same time, I realised the light was coming from the furthest clearing where Fugan resided. I barely had the time to think:

_What the hell?_

Before a blast of heat knocked me off my feet. For the second time that night I flew off my feet (something that hadn't happened since I was 4) and rolled downhill into the protection of a ditch. I could only lie on my back and watch as the blast of heat passed overhead, causing distortions to the air. It gave me the impression that the sun had crashed into the earth and we were all going to burn to death.

_Wouldn't that be perfect. What have I done to the world for it to hate me so much..._

When the onslaught of superheated air finally subsided, I raised my burnt arms from my face and clambered back up to the path. There wasn't much of a path left seeing that all of the trees in a 1km radius had been reduced to blackened roots and ashes. Any plant smaller than a full grown emergent was completely erased off the face of the earth. What previously had been a lush autumn forest now looked like a total wasteland with a huge crater in the center.

Somewhere in that crater should have been my uncle's house. Needless to say he died along with all the wildlife caught in the blast radius. That must be some crazily powerful bomb judging by the 50m crater it left in the earth.

Once again my lack of response to the death of someone dear flashed across my mind and brought a small tinge of concern. The thought disappeared as quickly as it came as curiosity got the better of me. Who in the world would want to set off a bomb in a secluded place like this? If it was a terrorist attack then killing 50 people hardly counted as a threat. It made no sense.

Neither did the unconscious man I found lying on the side of the crater. His short black hair and pale skin slightly resembled that of my family. As badly injured as he was, there was not one burn mark on his body. His clothes were in tatters and he sported bruises and scrapes all over his body, but the only wound he sported that looked immediately life-threatening was the huge gash across his chest. This man was the only lead I had left. Everything important in my life had been destroyed and I don't even know who or what did it. If I want answers then this man is definitely worth saving.

I frowned. Sure, I could probably staunch the bleeding and stop any infection with my knowledge of medicinal plants, but there was nothing for a kilometre on each side. Nocturnal predators are also a big problem. I couldn't leave the man here in case anything decided to make a quick meal out of him. And taking him along would be troublesome because he's a whole head taller than me. Running with him is just plain stupid.

_Hmm... what to do... I guess I'll need to carry him along. I can't risk letting him die. Welp, here we go.  
_

Putting one arm under his torso I heaved him onto my back and held on to his legs to stop him from slipping off.

_Huh... he's pretty light. I'm guessing 40 something kilos? Oh god this probably looks hilarious from a distance. Or maybe just plain awkward. A scrawny girl carrying a man flopping around like a dead fish. Nope, definitely hilarious._

_Dude you have a really weird sense of humor..._

_No kidding! Have you gone completely nutters? This guy probably helped kill your parents and yet here you are, trying to save him._

_Shut up._

_Telling yourself to shut up isn't the most effective way to shut yourself up.  
_

_Kill him now._

_Nah, treat the Chinese man and ask him for answers._

_How do you know he won't kill you as soon he wakes up?_

_Won't that be so much fun? I'm not even being sarcastic._

I groaned. The voices I can talk to right now are the ones inside my own head. Sure it kept the crushing feeling of desperation away as well as distracting me from lump of meat on my back. I could even say it's entertaining. But it's certainly not _healthy._ What was the first sign of madness again? Was it talking to yourself? Or was it singing something loudly while running down the street naked? I frowned again. I don't usually forget things even if they are trivial things.

_Damn, I'm pretty messed up._

_And you should be after witnessing everyone you know massacred in one night._

_So then why can't I feel it?  
_

_Feel what? The loss of your parents? A feeling of belonging? Or maybe... can you not feel who you are anymore?_

_..._

_No. I know who I am. I am Hei Fong, daughter of Dailee and Ting Fong. I live in the Emerald Forest in a village of 50 people._

_PFFFTTT AHAHAHA!_

_What's so funny?! Am I wrong?!_

_What proof do you have to back up anything you've just claimed to be? For all the world knows, your little village doesn't exist because there's no one left. Tian's body was incinerated in that explosion with every other corpse in this bloody night. Your parents don't exist anymore and you can't even be sure if they ever did. So what does that make you? _

_Nobody._

_You're nobody._

_Not true. I know who I am._

_No.__You know who you were. Who are you going to be now?  
_

This conversation circled around in my mind. It was very technically true. I've lost everything that made me myself. My name holds no value except as a constant painful reminder to everything I've lost. I see no reason in keeping it. So I'll discard everything and continue living with nothing but the promise I've made to honor my dead parents.

The charred black earth gradually browned as I walked, and soon I began to see intact trees in the distance. More and more of the scenery around me started to resemble the forest again. Just in time too, the man on my back was losing so much blood I could feel it soaking through my shirt. Wasting not a precious minute I (gently) dumped him on the ground and grabbed any plant I could find that was used as a disinfectant. I also found some spiderwebs stretched across branches and flicked the spider out of their homes before pulling the web down carefully. Luckily I was able to find some Yarrow, a plant used for it's blood clotting properties. I crushed the leaves together to form a pasty substance and spread it over his wound. Next, I used the cobwebs as a layer to stop the leaves from drying out and falling off. Finally I tore off part of my cotton shirt to make a bandage to bind everything together. Treatment complete! All that was left to do... see if he died or not? I mean, lived?

The scent of blood had finally caught the attention of a predator. A furry anaconda slithered from the undergrowth, flicking it's forked tongue, tasting the air for the the wounded prey it smelled. Suited me fine, a free dinner was exactly what I needed.

Trying not to disturb any leaves or branches I slowly took hold of a medium sized rock. The furry reptile stood no chance. In a few minutes I had it skinned and gutted and ready for roasting. Patiently I waited for the delicious snake meat to cook while occasionally glancing at the still body lying down a few metres away. In my mind I started forming a list of questions I wanted to ask the man if he didn't die.

_First question: Who (the hell) are you? Basic stuff. He probably won't answer it with complete truth, but I'm hoping for a bit of information in exchange for saving his sorry arse.  
_

_Second question: Uh... Maybe what he was doing here? The answer will most likely be something along the lines of "Killing and entire village and setting fire to all the houses then blowing up a bomb in the middle of Fugan's clearing" I think. Now I know what I'd want to ask next.  
_

_Third question: What did you do to Fugan? Y'know, the buff Chinese man that looks a bit like me. Wait no that's a dumb question. He obviously killed him. What should I ask instead..._

I buried my face in my hands. Here I am searching for a lead and I can't even come up with a few decent questions. Excuses started rolling inside my brain and another argument was beginning to take place. It was only stopped short by a sudden prick of pain on my neck.

"Move I kill." A voice hissed next to my ear. His fingernails were unnaturally sharp and pointed and they were biting harder into my neck.

* * *

The girl's eyes widened as she froze on the spot. Her aggressor was none other than the man who had been lying on the ground unconscious just a few moments ago.

Her thoughts began to race. _How in the name of... I swear he was half dead! I expected him not to wake up for at least another 5 hours, how can this even be possible?!__ Well... he didn't say anything about not talking so I might as well ask him.  
_

"Excuse me sir, not to seem rude and all but I just saved your life so can you please let me explain a few things before you stick your hand right through the length of skin and muscle tissue that connects my head to my shoulders?"

The black haired man said nothing for a good 2 minutes, and the child began to suspect that he had died on the spot from over exerting his body. Or so she hoped.

"Speak."

The girl licked her lips nervously. "Uh... I found you in a huge crater after a bomb went off and destroyed half the forest and you were badly injured (which you still probably are) so I decided to treat your wounds... I didn't want you to die. ...Please return the favor?"

_Oh God-I-Don't-Believe-In please help me... I really shouldn't have said the last part... now he's going to kill me._

He stayed silent again. The girl began to mentally bang her head on a rock. Repeatedly.

"Fine."

He sad down on the other side of the fire and stared- no. _Glared_ at her. Feeling the full strength of the squinty eyed asian glare the girl decided to hurry up and say something before he changed his mind.

"Would you like some snake? I seasoned it with some herbs and spices," she said testily, and as she saw his scowl deepen she hurriedly added, "it's not poisoned or anything I promise."

"..."

"Here." She hands him a piece of the wonderful smelling bony meat. It disappeared from her grasp in less than a second and reappeared in his hand. The Chinese man scowled at her for a few more seconds before stripping the meat off with his teeth. His eyebrows shot up slightly as the taste entered his mouth. It was in all senses of the word, delicious. He glared at her again, suspicious at how such a young girl could cook so well.

Seeing his reaction the girl asked,

"Is it good?"

"..."

"I've sampled almost everything in this forest so I know which foods taste good together."

Silence.

Now that the man wasn't threatening to kill her, she had the courage to start asking the questions she wanted to ask.

"So... who are you?"

"..."

"Um... do you have a name?"

"..."

"..."

"...Feitan. Girl name tell."

"I don't have one." _Not anymore_. She thought bitterly.

The conversation ended here. Neither were in a mood to talk anymore as the quiet night passed, leaving many questions unanswered.

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**And so ends the third chapter! Did anyone manage to guess who it was Hei was coming across before the start of this chapter? Fairly obvious, but my commendations to anyone who did. Please keep in mind this is taking place approximately 8 years before Gon takes the Hunter exams and Feitan is like... 20?**

**I'm also setting it right before the Genei Ryodan is formed. I have no idea when it was formed and I haven't found any clues so far so I'll just go with this since Chrollo looked like he was a young adult during one of his flashbacks. Actually he still looks like a young adult... . so maybe a _younger_ adult would be a better way to put it...?**

**I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! I'm putting some action in some next chapter so please don't hesitate to review.**


	4. Chapter 4

**I DO NOT OWN HUNTER X HUNTER OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS. THAT BELONGS TO NO-LONGER-ON-HIATUS-TOGASHI. HOWEVER KYU DOES BELONG TO ME SO DON'T USE HER WITHOUT MY PERMISSION. End caps lock.**

**Here's another chapter of Nine! I've finally given her her name. It's been very busy for me these past two days, and I'm trying to get as much of the story done as I can. Thanks for all the reviews, I'll do my best to reply to them!**

**Usagi:No! I meant to say 'Is Hei going to BE paired with Feitan?' I was on my phone and it likes to change words while I type. XD She just saved his life... So I hope they become a couple. ; n ; There's not many FeitanxOc on here. /3**

**As much as I'd like to do an OC pairing, I just don't think Kyu is the romantic sort. I'll develop her personality through the next few chapters and you'll see why. Feitan is totally awesome and why people don't make more fanfics with him I have no idea. ;-;**

**A note before you start reading, all dialogue that looks like "[This stuff inside here with the weird brackets]" is spoken in Chinese. That's all!**

**Enjoy and don't forget to review!**

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Ah, the sound of the great horned bullfinch as it sang for a mate, it's warbling voice conducting the ensemble of birdsong that welcomed each new morning. The leaves shining green in the morning dew, and the rocks looking like... well, rocks as the morning arrived. Serenity flowed almost like a liquid through the trees and surrounded the sleeping girl. What a wonderful morning so quiet and undist-

"BLEUURGH."

-urbed.

The girl's eyes flew wide open and she gasped lightly in surprise, almost choking on a leaf that had found its way inside her wide-open mouth whilst she was asleep. A coughing fit and several deep gulps of air later she wiped her wet eyes and looked over to what was making such an unpleasant sound on this peaceful morning.

Feitan stood a few metres away, puking his guts out as he tried to balance himself against a tree. Unbeknownst to the girl, the handful of yellow-white flowers she added to the snake-meat belonged to the Death Camas, a highly poisonous plant. Having never gotten sick from sampling everything in the forest she had no idea what plants were dangerous to ordinary people without specialised digestive systems like her own. She only knew what tasted nice and went well with other foods. As a result, the man fell ill from consuming the poisonous flowers. Luckily Feitan had some immunity to poison thanks to his past or else he would have died after eating more than half of the snake.

The girl watched as he continued to retch until nothing came out but bile. The man stumbled a few steps away from the disgusting puddle he had created and fell to his knees, panting. Glaring daggers at the bewildered girl he grabbed the nearest branch and attempted to ram it through her chest. The girl recovered from her shock and tried to reason with him as he clumsily tried to impale her with a piece of wood.

She dodged left and right, trying to fend off a very pissed off maniac. "Feitan-san! Please stop this! You're only going to wear out your body if you keep this up!"

He scowled at her and snarled with malice, "Shut up. I kill you. You poison, I kill."

"What?! I didn't poison you I swear. I ate plenty of that snake and I'm absolutely fine." She protested in futile. Luckily for her Feitan was still in no condition to fight, otherwise she'd be saying hello to the god of death before she was even able to react. In his weak, injured state Feitan could barely manage to catch up the nifty 7-year-old without tripping over roots and whatnot.

"Please stop, that gash on your chest is starting to bleed through again and if I don't- Gyaaaahhhh!" She tripped on a root and tumbled down head over heels, coming to a stop on her back. Feitan wasted no time to pin her arms down with his knees. His measly 45 kilos and reduced strength was barely enough to keep the girl from thrashing and throwing him off.

_Should I kill this girl right now or should I torture her first for the trouble she has caused me? Torture is very tempting but... I don't have the tools or the strength to do it. I don't even have a decent blade. Damn that man who managed to injure me to the point I was forced to use Pain Packer... He was a strong Enforcer. I guess I'll just have to kill her right now._

Feitan slammed his fist into the ground where her head was a mere second ago and leaving a fist shaped dent.

He raised his fist, readying it for another blow. Panic set in as the girl finally realised he was serious about killing her. As he brought his fist down towards her head, time seemed slow for her frenzied mind.

_No! I can't die here! _All the voices in her head screamed as her mind raced through any and every option she could find. Her eyes darted from one side to another as she searched for an opening to free herself. There were none to be found. In the last few centimetres before his fist reached its mark she pictured that his fist was coming down on something invisible that lead to a different destination. Preferably to himself.

And in that one centimetre before her skull was crushed, his fist seemed to disappear as if it had passed through a different dimension. At the same time a fist reappeared above his head and knocked the living daylights out of him. Essentially, Feitan had somehow managed to punch himself in the back of the head. His unconscious body fell forward and smothered one very surprised child. Unable to comprehend what just took place, the child's brain overloaded and temporarily shut down.

* * *

_3 hours later..._

* * *

The moment Feitan opened his eyes, he noticed the girl alive and well, replacing the old scraps of cloth tied around his chest with new ones.

"_Don't._" The girl told him in a tired voice before he could try strangling her. Enough was enough. Her vow to never hold grudges didn't stop her from getting annoyed at crazy half dead people trying to kill her after she saved their lives. What Feitan said next only pushed her tolerance close to the edge.

"Why you not dead." His was voice colder than ice. If he any trust left in the girl after she poisoned, he'd lost it all the moment she used some strange nen ability to incapacitate him. She was as much a mystery to as he was to her and that fact left him with nothing but hostility and suspicion.

_Is he serious? Is he actually serious? First he tries to kill me, fails, I treat his wounds_ again_ and then he asks me **th**_**e **_most inconsiderate question of all the inconsiderate questions. _

_You should have just left the bastard to die. Oh wait, you can't~, because guess what? He's the only human being around for kilometres and the only reason you have to do anything at the moment._

_Maybe he's not that bad of a person... give him some time. I think you gave him food poisoning or something from the snake meat. Maybe it was undercooked?_

_I'm pretty curious about his question too. How are we not dead? I watched as his fist connected with our face but felt nothing._

_Sure he stopped at the last second because he fainted. That doesn't make him a better person._

_Not possible. The momentum from his fist would have carried the punch through according to the laws of-_

_Shut up. Not now._

This little exchange carried itself out inside of her head for no longer than a fraction of a second. Her reply came without hesitation.

"I don't know." She looked down and hugged her legs as she sat down beside him.

Feitan was sure she was lying. But then... he couldn't see it in her eyes nor could he feel any discomfort in his gut like he usually did when a victim lied during his torture sessions.

_Must be a side effect of the poison. I won't trust anyone who doesn't give their name or reveal anything about themselves._

"You don't trust me do you?"

_No shit. _He thought.

"I'm just trying my best to heal you right now ok? I'm not trying to hurt you and I'd really appreciate it if you could return the favour. That food thing was not intentional, honest. I've never gotten sick from my own cooking before."

Feitan glared at her from the corner of his eyes. What she said was true but gave him no reason to trust her. Acts of kindness, in his experience, were nothing but sugar-coated attempts at mind games and manipulation.

"...what a weak stomach."

His eyes narrowed and a hiss of irritation escaped from his clenched jaws. _I really want to kill this piece of shit. I'd do it right now if my body listened to my commands. __I can't even verbally abuse her for how stupid she is. She obviously isn't getting sick because of her inherited traits. Why can't everyone just speak Chinese? I'm not bothered to learn this language...  
_

"OK OK I'm sorry geez. Can't you take a joke?"

"..."

"Please tell me you know what a joke is."

"...Stupid joke."

The girl sighed. This conversation wasn't getting anywhere. Heck, she'd probably have more fun talking to her multiple personalities. She watched as Feitan struggled to sit up and decided to give a hand while ignoring the death glares she was receiving from her patient. When he was in a moderately comfortable upright position she asked him curiously,

"So what are you going to do now?"

"..."

"Going anywhere?"

"..."

"You know what," The child stood up and attempted to tower over the short man, "how about I carry you?"

"What."

"I'll piggyback you to where you need to go. You're in no shape to walk by yourself. You can point me towards where you want to go or give me some directions. In return promise you won't try to kill me while you're on my back."

Feitan was silent as he thought it through. _Chrollo wanted to meet me in Ryuusegai in two weeks... It'll probably take me a week and a half just to recover with this shitty brat as a doctor. My best option is to go along with what she says for now. If she tries anything funny I'll kill her immediately. If she doesn't I'll kill her anyway when I get to Ryuusegai._

"Fine. I promise." Feitan smirked at how simple things had become for him.

_Uh oh, _Thought the girl, _He hasn't given me anything but scowls, glares and frowns since I found him. The only other time he did something different was when he was unconscious. He doesn't look as intimidating when he's asleep... I'm fairly sure he's up to something. I'll need to be careful._

"Get on my back. Let's get going now. We'll cover some distance before the sun sets." With her back turned to him she crouched down to let him get on.

Feitan obediently complied and wrapped his arms around her neck. His legs dangled from her small hands and he could almost step on the ground. He looked utterly ridiculous mounted on a 7-year-old girl. Her small back was extremely uncomfortable and very hard. For a child she had a well-built body.

_This kid... she's received training._

"Which way?"

"East."

Without another word she started running away from the sun just starting to take its slow climb down. After an hour or so the forest began to thin out into a grassy savannah. It was also when she got so very, very bored. The man on her back had fallen asleep and there was no one to talk to. Which wasn't entirely true. She still had herself to talk to.

_Ah, so bored._

_Grass, grass and more grass. Fun. Ooh look a tree!_

_Shall we play some I-Spy?_

_Yeah sure I Spy With My Little Eye Something Beginning With... G!_

_Could it possibly? Is it... grass?_

_Omigosh how did you know?_

_Oh god I'm so fudging weird..._

_Aw don't be too hard on yourself Miss Sardonic-Self-Criticizer, it's only a temporary thing. Temporary as in it'll go away once you die._

_...Gee thanks._

_Why not decide on a new name while we're at it? You don't have much else to do._

_That's a good idea. Any suggestions-_

_How about Sad-Lonely-Orphan?_

_-apart from Negative over there?_

_I really liked my old name though..._

_I didn't._

_How's that even possible? We're the same person..._

_Different sides of the same coin brah._

_That doesn't make sense._

_Whatever. I'm going with Kyu._

_Kyu?_

_Yeah, as in the number Nine._

_Why?_

_I could use some luck in life. And nine a lucky Chinese number right? Remember what mother told you?_

_I'd rather not._

_I like it. So we're going with Kyu?_

_Yup._

_Cool._

For a few minutes Kyu felt pretty content with her new name. Nine _was_ one of her favourite numbers. The feeling of satisfaction was soon replaced with itching boredom. Running in a forest is oodles of fun compared to running on a savannah. There were trees to dodge, fruit to eat and shade. Oh blessed shade... how she missed it. The afternoon sun was harsh on her large pupils and left black spots in her vision when she looked away.

"Turn to hills. Town."

Kyu, startled by the sudden interruption, almost dropped the grumpy man off her back. Which wouldn't have been very healthy for either of them. Biting back her gasp of surprise, she took a sharp turn to her left and altered her course towards the lumps of green in the distance. Seizing the moment she attempted at another conversation with the tight-lipped man. Her child-like persistence and curiosity was the only part of her personality that resembled that of a child's.

"Sooo... Not to be rude or anything but your Japanese seems a bit... uncoordinated? Is that the word?"

Kyu jumped over a rotting tree trunk and heard Feitan grunt. Not sure of whether it was an agreement or simply because her jump had caused him pain, she continued.

"I'm guessing it's not your first language. Do you by any chance speak Chinese? I'm quite fluent with it because my fa-" Kyu hesitated as she was about utter the word 'father'.

_I don't want to talk about the past... I just want to think about the present and the future.  
_

For a few minutes the girl wore a blank look on her face, her unanswered question forgotten. Her thoughts had gone astray thanks to her own carelessness.

"[Yes I do speak Chinese.]"

Kyu's mouth fell open and almost swallowed a mosquito upon hearing how fluent his Chinese sounded. Feitan narrowed his eyes as she spluttered to get the bug out of her mouth.

_Some books say people who speak in a fluent and graceful manner are pleasant at heart. I think it's true even though he's tried to kill me over some food poisoning. Feitan might really be a nice person inside that cold exterior! _Kyuu thought enthusiastically.

"[What of it you piece of shit]?"

_I take that back. I'm going to sue the author of that book for false information as soon as I can get some money for a lawyer. Even so... it'll be nice to hear him talk normally._

_Yeah dude, his grammar was killing me._

Trying her best to not be put off by his negative attitude, the child tried to befriend the older man in order to gain some much sought after information.

"[Wow you're good at speaking in your own language. Did you come from the Azian continent? I heard that there are many Chinese speaking communities over there in the East.]"

"[...Kid just because you speak my home tongue does not give me any reason to trust you. Any pea-brained idiot stupid enough to mix Death Camas into food is out of my book of trust.]"

Kyu huffed indignantly, "[I'm actually considered a genius for my age. What the hell is Death Camas? All I used for seasoning were some yellow flowers and Juju-Berries.]"

Feitan wanted to facepalm himself and murder the brat at the same time. Since he could do neither of these things without falling off her back at a speed of 40km/h he contented himself with ignoring her. He needed to get to Ryusegai in time for the meeting. He needed to get there for Chrollo's sake. And to do that he needed help from this brat. So instead he thought:

_What sort of f*cking genius doesn't know basic survival knowledge like poisonous plants?_

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**Sorry about the abrupt ending, but this chapter was getting a bit too long. Please forgive me for the shoddy ending! .**

**I promise the next chapter will be better concluded, and it'll be out within 2 days :D**

**Don't forget to R&R! (It gives me a lot of encouragement to write the next chapter. Thank you everyone!)**


	5. Chapter 5

**I DO NOT OWN HUNTER X HUNTER OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS. THAT BELONGS TO NO-LONGER-ON-HIATUS-TOGASHI. HOWEVER KYU DOES BELONG TO ME SO DON'T USE HER WITHOUT MY PERMISSION.**

******A note before you start reading, all dialogue that looks like "[This stuff inside here with the weird brackets]" is spoken in Chinese.  
**

******Nnnngghhh... Trying to stick some humor into those awkward moments between Kyu and Feitan, failing drastically. TSM (Top Secret Magician)-Senpai, teach me your secrets~ (,.)  
**

**********Enjoy and don't forget to review!  
**

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"[Hey Feitan.]"

"[...]"

"[Heeeey Feitan~]"

"[...]"

"[I know you're awake so pleeeaaaase will you talk to me? Please?]"

Feitan was nearing his limit. He longed for the moment they arrived at Ryusegai, so he could rip her head straight off her shoulders. Scratch that, a quick death was too good for her. He wanted to carve into her ribs with knife, preferably a big one, and pull her nails off one by one as he listened to her scream.

_Her screams will be a nice change from her constant nagging..._ He thought.

"[Where are you from? What were you doing in the Emerald Forest? How'd you get hurt so badly? Where are you going?]"

Twitching uncontrollably, Feitan fought down the urge to manipulate his fingernails into claws and dig them into her back.

_Control... For the sake of Chrollo, hold it down. Think of murder later when I've gotten what I want. Calm..._

Kyu repeated her questions over and over, in the exact same tone of voice. Her patience, unlike his, was near limitless.

"[Hey Feitan,]" Nag nag nag, "[Heeey Feitan are you listening?]"

* * *

_1 hour later..._

* * *

"[Hey Feitan, tell m-]"

"[ENOUGH!]" The small Asian man snarled as he finally lost his cool. "[If I tell you, will you shut up you piece of shit?]"

"Tch." Big black puppy eyes beamed at him.

_I'll teach this little brat a lesson..._

"[Where I'm from is none of your business. I was hired to assassinate your pathetic clan. Your parents were easier to squash than bugs under my boot. They cried so pathetically while I dug my sword into their guts and ripped out their lungs. The only man who could put up a futile resistance was your uncle. He's the one who inflicted these wounds on me, but he didn't even stand a chance when I got serious. Are you scared, brat? Talk any more than you need to and I'll do the same to you and end your filthy bloodline, little Fong brat.]" Feitan spat will all the malice he could manage.

Darkness clouded the child's face as she took in every harsh word thrown at her by her ungrateful passenger. Her eyes were cast down towards the ground, watching as the grass wizzed by under her feet. Every trace of her cheerfulness disappeared and was replaced by emptiness.

_Hmph. That was satisfying._ Feitan thought gleefully, savouring the reaction from his victim.

"[What are you talking about? I have no clan, name or past.]" Kyu twisted her head back. Abyssal black eyes met with surprised grey eyes. "[My name is Kyu, that is the only thing there is to me.]"

The Chinese man's eyes narrowed. _This brat... She's definitely his niece. There's no way I'm mistaken. Their family all have the same black hair and eyes._ A thought suddenly hit him. _Unless_..._ is she psychologically damaged from what I did? Fufufu... Interesting! She'll grow up to be a completely twisted thing. Too bad I won't get to see that. I'll dispose of the trash as soon as it's not needed.  
_

"[Oi.]" Kyu interrupted his thoughts in a monotonous voice, "[You haven't answered my other question. Where are we going?]"

This time he was prepared. "[Watch your attitude, brat. There is no 'we'. I need to get to Ryusegai in two weeks. Get me there or I'll kill you.]"

Her face was unreadable. Feitan knew she had probably realised by now that he was going to kill her regardless of whether or not she obeyed his commands. The brat did seem disturbingly smart for age. She hadn't been lying when she said she was a genius.

No reply came from Kyu and Feitan was perfectly fine with that. The rest of the journey continued without a word from either party. When they finally reached the town behind the hills, it was nearing nightfall. Stars dimly visible above the bright lampposts, occasionally winking at the two strange traveling companions. Feitan's clothes hung in dirty tatters around his waist with an equally dirty rag tied around his chest. Most of his cuts and bruises had healed already, but his body and aura were very weak from battle. The fact that he had been poisoned in near critical conditions didn't help at all.

Kyu looked slightly better wearing a blood matted (Feitan's blood) fur jacket on top of a loose grey crop top (long-sleeved) that had strips missing from the sleeves. Her shorts were torn and dirt-covered from the struggle for her life earlier in the day. Townspeople stared as the weird duo passed by and they had good reason to. Who wouldn't gawk at a young child carrying someone a great deal bigger than them. These stares soon diverted elsewhere as Feitan's death glare met every pair of eyes that dared to land on him.

"[What now?]" Kyu had reverted back to her normal personality. The man she carried wasn't particularly overjoyed at this fact and openly expressed his opinion with no less venom than a rattlesnake.

"[You're back to normal? Shame. When you were quiet it reminded me of the corpses of your parents. They were much better company than you are.]"

A low growl escaped from her throat. "[Do you want to get to Ryusegai or not?]"

"Che." Feitan slowly stepped onto the ground stumbling slightly on the uneven cobblestone path.

"[Hey watch it, you're still far from fully recovered.]"

The injured man mentally rolled his eyes. _If I weren't then you'd be dead right now. _He walked slowly toward a house, leaning against the wall for support.

"[Where are you going?]" Kyu rushed after him. She tried to lend him a shoulder to lean on only to be shoved aside.

"[Acquiring a place to spend the night. If you want to be of some use then go inside that house over there-]" He lifted a finger towards the house he was walking to, "[-and kill everyone inside. You've been trained before, it shouldn't be a problem for a small-fry like you.]"

"[WHAT?!]" The child's sudden outburst attracted unwanted attention from some passerbys. She lowered her voice down to a hoarse whisper and said, "[That's crazy! I've never killed anyone in my life! The only training I've received was for self-defense.]"

"[Useless herbivore. I'll do it myself.]"

"[No don't! If you go in there and slaughter a family, people will notice.]" Catching sight of a large sign labelled 'Inn' she hastily continued, "[I've got a better idea. Get on my back again.]"

When Feitan didn't move an inch, she sighed and continued, "[If we attract any unwanted attention the townspeople will kick us out, or worse, they'll kill us. Trust me, I've got a plan.]"

Eventually he gave in and climbed grudgingly onto her back. "[Ok now whimper and look heavily injured.]"

"[Brat, are you tired of having a head?]"

"[Uh... nevermind then. Could you at least just hang your head down and look unconscious?]"

"[...Fine.]"

Feitan rested his head on her shoulder and hissed menacingly in her ear, "[Try anything funny and I'll kill you painfully.]"

Gulp. _Is this __what you call peer pressure?_ Kyu thought nervously. Her normal self wasn't nearly as fearless as the other personalities that took over every now and then. _I really hope this works... More for my sake than that family's._

_Ding-ling._

"Welcome to Sharin Village Inn! How ma-" The woman at the reception gasped as she saw the state of the two as Kyu walked in. "Oh my god, are you okay?"

Putting on her best teary face, Kyu sobbed pitifully, "H-help! My brother and I were attacked by bad men when we were traveling through the Emerald Forest. They beat him up before stealing everything we had! I'mscaredwhatifhediespleasehelpus!" Adding a rushed sob on the end for an extra dramatic performance the girl did her best to look like a 7-year-old girl who'd been robbed. Feitan was pretty impressed. _Devious little brat. Stooping as low as this just to stop me from murdering a family for a place to stay tonight._

"Come here quickly! Let me see your brother's wounds." The poor woman fell for her lie completely. Who could blame her? The two looked very alike, the same black hair and pale complexion gave anyone the impression of siblings. If Feitan wasn't so short he could probably even pass as her father.

_YES! We did it!_

_Ahahaha people are really gullible these days aren't they?_

_Damn I hate crying even if it's just an act._

_Quit complaining. Anything's better than sleeping in a house full of dead people._

_Fufufu... how would you know? We've never had the chance to try._

_Dude no. Just no._

Gesturing for them follow, the innkeeper quickly headed upstairs and unlocked a room. "Get him on a bed, it doesn't matter if he gets the sheets filthy. I'll go get some disinfectant, antibiotics and fresh bandages from the pharmacy so stay right there." As the kind-hearted woman rushed out to get the medication, Feitan opened his eyes and smirked at the one who had carried him up the stairs. The yellow light basked his face with a warm glow, highlighting his fine features.

_For a sadistic murderer he's pretty cute._ Mused Kyu to herself. At the same time her face was also basked in the warm light, reflecting off her deep black eyes and casting shadows cross her face.

"[Not a bad idea, brat.]"

"[Thanks. Now for the next part of the plan. When the lady gets back pretend to have woken up. Don't talk OK? I'll handle the rest. One last thing, try to keep those nasty expressions off your face."

His playful expression changed back into the usual foul one. "[Don't order me around you piece of shit.]"

"[Especially that scowl. Well so long as you don't scowl directly at her it should be fine, so just bear with it ok?]"

"Tch. [Fine.]"

Kyu resisted the urge to say 'Good boy'. She wasn't willing to risk fighting for her life again while she was tired.

Listening carefully, Kyu could hear the activity inside the inn. _Hmm... 4 others in inn, excluding us. With any luck they shouldn't bother us for the night._

_Since when was your luck any good?_

_Since I took on a lucky number for a name._

_Let's put that to the test, shall we?_

After a few long minutes, she finally heard the bell ringing and hurried steps creaking up the wooden steps. "[Get into position! She's coming back.]"

Feitan responded by propping himself up against the pillow, sitting up halfway. The child placed one of her small hands into his medium sized hands in a gesture of care, much to his dislike. The man itched to snatch his hand away and slap the grinning child away. Yes, she was actually grinning! _Damned brat, she's actually having fun.  
_

"Good you're awake! That's always a good sign. Now don't talk and let me take a look at that wound on your chest." If she was surprised to see how well built the young man was, she didn't show it. Cutting away the rag with a pair of scissors, the innkeeper scanned the gash with a pair of keen eyes. Kyu leaned over for a better look.

_This guy is a monster. The blood's already clotted over the entire wound in one short day. How is this even possible?! It's not normal! I should know, I once received a similar wound on my back from a Ligerbear. It took three days for the wound to scab to that extent. And that was with stitches!_

"This looks bad, but not life-threatening. Did you apply some first aid already dear?" A nod from Kyu. "You're such a good child. It must have been a very deep cut. It won't need any stitches thanks to you, but I'll put on some disinfectant and give it a fresh layer of bandages." She set to work; cleaning the wound with a wet cloth and dabbing on the sharp smelling yellow liquid here and there. Finally she finished off by quickly wrapping the bandages across his chest.

"All done! My son would be proud to see this old girl work so expertly. You two dears get some rest now. Wait, I'll fetch you two some clean clothes to change into. I'll take your dirty clothes and wash them." Seeing the tattered cloth hanging on Feitan's waist she shook her head and said, "Maybe not yours. They'll have to go into the trash."

A few minutes later she returned with some clean clothes, two black long-sleeved shirts, 2 pairs of black pants, and simple patterned maroon vest. "Here, try these on. They belonged to my son when he was still a young lass." The shirt, pants and vest fit Feitan like a glove. Kyu found the clothes a little too big, but still wearable. "Oh my, you look adorable." Laughed the woman as she watched Kyu flopping around with the sleeves hanging off her hands and the trouser legs dragging across the floor. "Let me help you with that." After rolling up the sleeves of Kyu's shirt and pants, the woman laughed again and turned to leave the room.

Kyu took this chance to jump up and give her a big hug as the great finale of act. "Thank you nice lady!"

"No problem dear, if you need any help just come find me downstairs. Rest well!"

When the older woman's footsteps were far away, Kyu turned to the grumpy man and asked, "[How are you feeling?]"

He simply growled at her and looked the other way.

Kyu sighed. "[It's been a long day. We should get some rest. By the way, those clothes are pretty stylish on your shoulders."

No reply. She had gotten pretty used to the cold attitude of her traveling companion by now and it didn't bother her in the slightest. _Click. _The lights turned off and the room was drenched in darkness. Kyu hopped onto her bed and pulled the blankets over her head, sinking into the soft bed.

"[Good night.]"

"[...]"

_Ah... It's been forever since I've been able to sink into a bed like this._

_By forever do you mean 2 days?_

_Shuttup and learn to read the mood._

_Why would I need to read the mood when I'm the one feeling it?_

_Sleep._

_Can't. For some reason I feel pretty excited, even though I'm bone tired from all the running I did today._

_That ungrateful bastard didn't even say thank you!_

_Yeah, well, you can't expect a murderer to say thank you for helping him._

_Speaking of murderers... do you think it's likely he'll kill us in our sleep tonight?_

_Not sure... let's take a peek..._

Kyu twisted her head back to see if he was asleep, and instead found herself staring into a pair of pissed grey eyes. "What?" he growled.

"N-Nothing!"

_EEP! He's still awake!_

_I can feel his eyes burning holes into the back of my head..._

_..._

_..._

_..._

_This is going to be a long night..._

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**Are you enjoying the story as much as I am? I hope you are because I'm loving every minute of typing this out.  
**

**Next update: Soon!**


	6. Chapter 6

******I DO NOT OWN HUNTER X HUNTER OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS. THAT BELONGS TO NO-LONGER-ON-HIATUS-TOGASHI. HOWEVER KYU DOES BELONG TO ME SO DON'T USE HER WITHOUT MY PERMISSION.**

**Originally I intended this story to be a means of practicing my creative writing skills every day, but it's gotten really enjoyable and I love getting positive feedback from everyone. From now on I'll try to update with a new chapter every 2-3 days.**

**********A note before you start reading, all dialogue that looks like "[This stuff inside here with the weird brackets]" is spoken in Chinese. _Italics _are for thoughts.  
**

**********Enjoy!**

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"Nnngh." Feitan groaned quietly as he rolled onto his injury by accident. The pain was enough to wake him from his light slumber. He shifted slightly over to his left and stole a glance at the sleeping girl.

Her breathing was barely audible, even to his keen ears. Feitan studied her fine-boned face framed by thick black hair and glistening black lashes which were wet from tears.

_Pathetic. She's crying in her sleep. Teary nightmares aren't uncommon for children this young, but I know the specific cause for these nightmares; my massacre at Emerald Forest. _Feitan smirked at the thought like the sick sadist he is.

Silently he slipped out of bed, wincing whenever he tensed his chest muscles. Although his recovery rate was far superior to that of a normal person's, in one night, his body had only recovered to the point where he could walk unaided. Aura regeneration was not one of his strong points either, which is why he hated to use his nen abilites to such an extent. The thought to kill the brat in her sleep crossed his mind again. _How vulnerable and fragile... No. I still need her to complete my objective. Killing and torture can come later. _Quietly he walked barefoot out of the room in search of something vent his irritation on.

* * *

_"Mother? Father?"  
_

Hei Fong found herself wandering through an unexplored part of the forest where everything was shrouded in a layer of black mist. She could smell smoke all around and hear the screams of... who could she hear the screams of? All of a sudden she couldn't remember who these people were. She had a vague feeling none of them mattered anyway.

Silence.

She felt the black mist closing in around her, until it left only a suffocatingly small space for her to stand in. Für Elise, playing backwards. The creepy yet mesmerising tune wafted around her like a fine aroma. Hei closed her eyes for a while and listened. Then that too went away.

Silence once again.___  
_

___"The Itsy Bitsy Spider climbed up the water spout,"_

A child's voice sang in a spine chilling manner from beyond the enclosing mist.

___"Down came the rain and washed the spider out,"_

Who was that singing? It was so familiar... yet she couldn't remember.

___"Out came the sun and dried up all the rain,"_

That face... so blurry... coming closer...

___"And the Itsy Bitsy Spider climbed up the spout again..."_

Tian's face came into focus. His empty sockets dripping with blood, clutching a dismembered arm in his hand. His arm.

"Tian...! What- what happened to you?" Hei was horrified to see her friend so pale and mutilated.___  
_

___"The Itsy Bitsy Spider..." _He gave no reply and kept on singing softly. The mist cleared slightly to reveal the lower half of his body. Hei blanched at the horrific sight of the small boy's abdomen ripped open and intestines dangling. He took a step forward. Then another. Hei backed away slowly in horror.

_"Hei..."_ Her name echoed in the darkness by the soulless corpses of the dead villages, each sporting a gruesome injury. Bloodied hands gripped the terrified child and held her prisoner as the former townspeople moaned her name in hatred, disappointment and accusation.

___"Out came the sun... and dried up all the rain..." _The small boy inched slowly towards her until their bodies came into contact. By now Hei was shaking in fear and confusion, tears threatening to spill from her eyes. "Oh god Tian... I'm so sorry..."

The boy stopped singing. _"It hurt so much, Hei-onesan. Can you make it go away?"_ He wrapped his arms around her in an affectionate hug and nuzzled his face into her jacket.

Hei shivered. His body was ice cold. The blood trickled down his face and soaked into her clothes, drenching them completely. The girl gulped and said, "What do you want me to do?"

_"Unleash our fury upon the one who did this to us. Make him scream, make him cry, return what he did to us hundredfold." _A ghastly smile contorted his face into that of a maniac who looked nothing like her friend. _"Kill him... revenge..." _The villagers echoed.

The mist swirled into a deep red, almost as if it was a manifestation of the villager's rage. "I-I... Please... I'll do what you ask, so please stop!" The girl cried desperately. She squeezed her eyes shut and covered her head, trying to hide from the nightmare.

_"Hei, my child... what are you doing?" _Hei uncovered her eyes and looked up at the sound of the voice. Forest and the swirling mist had vanished. Now she stood at home, her mother cooking at the stove and her father sitting at the dining table, reading a book. Everything was back to normal again. Hei felt a rush of relief flow through her. None of it had been real.

"Mother? Father? Thank god you're ok! I saw Tian and everyone-" Her mother slowly turned from the stove. Her torso ripped open like stuffed toy. Only there was was nothing inside her. Hei's father looked up from his book and stood. His chest was an empty hole.

"_What's wrong Hei?" _Their voices sounded breathy like wind rasping through dead leaves. _What's going on? How did this happen? _Hei thought as she stared at the two corpses in front of her.

_"What is wrong with you? You saved the one who killed us, and you're aiding him knowing that you're going to get killed. IS THIS WHAT WE HAVE RAISED YOU FOR, HEI?!" _Their voices rose into deafening shrieks of fury. The child fell and curled into a ball, whimpering in fright. She had never seen her parents like this, twisted demons of rage and vengeance. "P-P-Please... Mother... Father... I don't know what you're talking about!" She sobbed as the family home burned in crimson flames.

"What are you talking about?"

The scene suddenly changed. Hei found herself staring at herself floating in an empty space. More accurately she was staring at two copies of herself and something tucked into a ball on the ground.

_I don't know anymore! I just want-_

"-all the pain to go away, right?" The one in bloody clothes sneered at her. "You think you can just hide away after everything that's happened, after your family was massacred along with your mother, father and uncle? Did you think that, fool? The past won't fade just because you want it to silly child. Remember what you've seen and don't run away with your tail tucked between your legs. Everyone is _dead_. And you know who did it. So why aren't you doing anything?"

_I don't- Stop- Please!_

"You're pathetic. Just like he says you are. Nothing but a piece of shit who's too weak to even take revenge on a half-dead man." The one with dead eyes and black clothes stared at her without emotion, all the while continuing in an emotionless voice. "You shame the proud name of Fong, child. Someone like you should have died with the rest of the family."

_...died..._

The thing on the ground rolled around until it faced her. It was another copy of Hei, wearing a straitjacket and an insane grin on her face. It giggled madly. "Kekeke... you saw it all. They all died and burned! The blood and smell of fresh meat! Ah~ I can still see it all in front of me... everyone dead and gone~ dead and gone~"

_That's right... I saw it all._

The scene changed into one from her memory. Every burning house, every dead body found within burning doors replayed itself like a movie. When all the memories from that night had been cycled through, Hei found herself standing in the forest again, the villagers in the red mist still surrounding her. Tian's small arm wrapped tightly around waist.

_Yes... everyone died that night. I was helpless to prevent any of it from happening. We all were. And yet... when I got the chance to kill someone who was responsible for what happened... I did the opposite. I saved his life. Why did I do it?  
_

_The promise._

_Ah yes, that final promise._

"I'm sorry, but I can't."

_"WHAT?"_ A chorus of angry voices screamed at her.

"I made a promise to never take revenge, no matter what the crime. This is my way of honouring the memory of my parents. Go ahead, hate me for it. I don't care if even my parents hate me for the path I've chosen, but I will live according to my own values.I'm no longer the person I was three days ago."

_"We'll hate you forever to the ends of hell! Remember this, Hei Fong, we will haunt your dreams until you DIE." _The corpses burst into flame and burned away into nothingness.

_Haunt me until I die, huh?  
_

Once again Hei found herself standing in a vast emptiness, alone.

_That won't be necessary._

Footsteps, coming closer, yet no one in sight.

_Because..._

The man she recognised as Feitan appeared from the nothingness.

_"You are already dead, Hei Fong. I killed everything you were."_

Pain coursed through her, a crimson blossom spreading where his hand pierced her chest.

_The girl named Hei Fong died that night with the rest of her family._

Down she fell into the abyss, feeling her body shutting down, all the while staring at the man responsible for all the misery in her short life. And yet... she felt nothing but calm as she died.

_My name is Kyu... I am the girl without a past..._

* * *

Kyu woke up still feeling the same tranquility she felt at the end of her dream. Needless to say she remembered the whole dream, thanks to her Eidetic memory. There she lay for many minutes, pondering over her dream, before finally deciding to get up and out of bed. She found her old clothes at the end of the bed, washed clean and ready for wear.

Wiping the grit from her eyes, she stretched her arms and back in a cat-like manner and yawned, "[Mornin' Feitan.]"

No response.

_He's ignoring me again... _Kyu turned around ready for the icy glare of her companion. Instead she found the other bed vacant, its sheets neatly folded.

_What an early waker. Oh crap, what if he ditched me here? Crap crap crap crap please let him be nearby. His wounds aren't healed yet and I'll have nothing to do if he leaves..._

Swiftly she changed out of the borrowed garments and donned her own clothes. Kyu was ready to stomp downstairs and search for him when she remembered how early it was. _Other people are likely to still be in bed. I'll go quietly. But before that I'll need to thank the innkeeper for letting us stay for one night._

Kyu jumped down the flight of stairs and landed silently in a crouch. At times like this she was thankful she had lived most of her life as a forest predator. However, she was not a morning person and all of her senses remained dull like that of an average human's for around 5 minutes in the morning, or until she got her head in cold water.

"Excuse me Mrs Innkeeper? Are you there?" She called.

There was nothing to be heard. Even morning birds weren't awake yet.

"[Feitan? Are you still here?]" Kyu tried again.

She headed down the corridor into the back of the Inn, and heard someone inside the kitchen humming to themselves. _There she is! I'd better say good morning._

"Good morning!"

Instead of the kind woman she found Feitan standing over the disfigured body of the gagged innkeeper, unaware of her presence. He was still holding a bloody kitchen knife when he turned around to face her.

"[...Good morning.]"

10 seconds passed. 20 seconds.

...

...

"WHAT IN THE ACTUAL ****?!" Kyu thundered at man, teeth bared and shoulders tensed.

"[What did you say, piece of shit?]" Killing intent emanated from Feitan. Kyu immediately regretted losing her cool and shrank advanced with knife hand, an evil look in his eye.

_He's off his rocker... _thought the angry child. She grabbed the nearest object available to her (a fork) and prepared to fend him off. To her surprise, Feitan suddenly dropped the knife and stepped over the body to wash his hands.

_Wha...?_

This was her chance.

"[I'm sorry for my outburst.]"

Splish splash. No reply.

"[Can you at least tell me why you did it?]"

Many minutes passed as her question remained unanswered. The Chinese man finished washing his hands and wiped them dry on a towel hanging from the stove.

"[Because I could.]"

Anger flared up inside her again. Feitan glared as he saw her lips begin to curl away from her teeth and immediately Kyu suppressed the feeling of rage as not to endanger her life. Without another word Feitan walked out of the Inn and onto the deserted road outside with the girl trailing behind him.

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**This chapter is a bit short because I'm a bit busy preparing a birthday present for a friend :)**

**I hope you enjoyed it as much as the previous chapters despite its length~**


	7. Chapter 7

******I DO NOT OWN HUNTER X HUNTER OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS. THAT BELONGS TO NO-LONGER-ON-HIATUS-TOGASHI. HOWEVER KYU DOES BELONG TO ME SO DON'T USE HER WITHOUT MY PERMISSION.**

******************A note before you start reading, all dialogue that looks like "[This stuff inside here with the weird brackets]" is spoken in Chinese. _Italics _are for thoughts.**

******************Enjoy!**

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The sun beat down relentlessly on the duo walking in the grassy plain. Feitan lead the way, Kyu followed behind. They traveled in this manner for an entire morning with no exchange of conversation whatsoever. The young child was still miffed at what he had done to the innkeeper after all the help she had provided.

The woman had been so kind to gift them with clothes. And how did he repay her? By torturing the poor woman until she died while wearing the clothes of her son on his shoulders.

* * *

_"[Because I could.]"_

* * *

Those words echoed in her head until she could contain her anger no longer.

"[What gives you the right...]" She muttered. In an instant Feitan whirled on her. His hand flashed out like snake and locked onto her neck like iron. He lifted her to eye level and spat in her face.

"[Stupid brat,]" he snarled, "[I've had enough of your bullshit. Shut your trap before I snap your neck.]"

"[Can't- breathe-]' Kyu gasped. The grip around her airway loosened slightly.

"[You're the one with no right. You're a weak piece of shit in a world where only the powerful get any rights. Know your place, scum.]" At the end of his sentence he threw her onto the ground, flinched a little from the pain, then gave the girl a few good kicks to the stomach for good measure. Kyu took the kicks soundlessly, unwilling to give him any satisfaction from her pain.

"Tch." Feitan abandoned the heap on the ground and kept walking. _My chest hurts from lifting her up... I hate being injured._ He thought.

_Arrogant bastard!  
_

_It's true though, isn't it?_

_Yes it is. Only those with power can do anything in this world._

_He made a good example out of your village didn't he?_

_Don't talk about the past._

"Nnngh... [Wait...]" Kyu crawled to her feet slowly, arms wrapped around her waist in an attempt to squeeze away the soreness.

Feitan looked straight ahead without faltering in his step.

Kyu made a crappy attempt to smile. "[We're -ugh- going to Ryusegai right? My sense of geography is terrible but I know it's on a different continent... And the nearest big city is a week away on foot. You're still injured and I'm willing to bet you can't run at all. Let me carry you again and we can get there faster...]"

Now he turned around to face the child, his face unreadable. _This kid... I don't understand her at all. People I hurt either stay away from me or die. Yet this brat won't stop trying to assist me. _Feitan disliked confusion, and he disliked the child before him who was causing it. But... for now he would endure to find out her true motive. _If she shows any ill intention towards me her head will be rolling the moment she tries anything fishy._

"[What are you waiting for? If I start running now we'll get there in 3 to 4 days.]" She staggered over and crouched in front of him, waiting patiently for him to comply. To her (pleasant) surprise he said not a word and simply clambered onto her back.

This time her grin was genuine as she readied her feet for another long run.

* * *

_Back in the town several hours later...  
_

* * *

The doorbell to the roadside Inn tinkled as a well dressed young man returned to visit his mother. After calling 'Mother! I'm back!" several times and receiving no answer, he walked into the 'Staff Only' section of the Inn. The young man headed towards the kitchen, expecting his mother to be cooking a meal to celebrate his return. The sight he was greeted with was anything but pleasant. A body; bloody, mangled and fly-ridden. A body that wore his mother's horribly disfigured face.

Overwhelmed by grief he fell to his knees and wept for many minutes. Rage formed inside him as he wondered who could do such a cruel thing, and immediately he suspected the clients living upstairs. Prepared to kill the murderer on sight, he rushed upstairs only to find dead bodies behind each closed door. The apprentice detective went back to the kitchen in a stupor, and buried his mother in the back garden of the Inn she loved so much. Then he returned to the kitchen again to find out who the murderer(s) were/was with his nen ability, Crime Replay. His ability allowed him to look back in time using the blood of a victim to channel his power. He could then look back to the point in time when the blood was spilled and see the whole scene of the crime unfold. A trail visible only to him would then appear and lead him to the culprit. Completely useless in battle, but it was useful for his choice of occupation.

And right now it would prove useful for tracking down and killing whoever had done this. He knew the face of the one who had committed the butchery. All he needed to do now was follow the black-ish trail of aura and find him. Arrest was out of question for the vengeful young man. Only cold blooded murder was a punishment befitting of such a crime.

* * *

_Meanwhile, twenty or so kilometres away..._

* * *

"[Hey Feitan,]" the girl mused.

"[What?]" he growled right back.

"[Are you hungry?]"

"[...]"

"[Well I'm pretty hungry. What do you say we stop for lunch? We kinda skipped breakfast (no thanks to you) and we both haven't had any food since yesterday morning.]"

"[...]"

Kyu sighed. Sometimes trying to get a response from the man was really hard. "[I'm stopping here. I'll go and hunt something if you would so kindly dismount.]"

Feitan slid off and seated himself on a small rock.

_Is it just me... or does he look paler than usual?_

_Nope. Not just you. I think he does too._

_That doesn't make any sense at all. We're all the same person._

_Way to smother our individuality..._

A voice interrupted her thoughts.

"[Brat.]"

Twitch. "[Yes Feitan?]"

"[Poison me again and I'll really kill you this time.]"

"Aha... haha... [Sure...]"

Kyu hesitated. "[Uh... How do I know if something is 'poisonous'?]

Inside Feitan's mind, a brick wall repeatedly came into contact with his forehead. "[...Are you serious?]"

Kyu laughed sheepishy, "[It's not like I've had any problems with food in the past... Hey, how about you come with me? You can tell me which plants will poison you while I hunt.]"

_This is a better option than being poisoned again, I guess. _He thought as he replied, "[Fine. I'll come with you.]" Her cooking was, as much as he hated to admit, quite delicious. In his opinion, the reward was worth the effort.

"[Sweet! Let's go then. I won't need to ask you to tread quietly right?]"

"[Who do you think you're talking to, brat?]"

"[Thought so.]"

Kyu slunk into the tall grass, nose to the air. Taking a deep breath she drew in all the different smells around her. Catching the scent of something nearby she began tracking the scent. Feitan followed right behind her, managing to be totally silent while sauntering through tall grass. He wasn't particularly interested in how she hunted until she came across a small herd of gazelle grazing in an area with several densely leaved trees. Much to his surprise the girl dropped into a crouch and entered a state of Zetsu.

_This child knows Nen?! Her uncle was an excellent Enchancer but I don't think he taught her anything about Nen, otherwise I would have seen her use it when I tried to kill her yesterday. No... she's learned it naturally from concealing her presence like a true predator to hunt for prey._

Slowly, surely, she crept towards the herd on all fours. Kyu had positioned herself to be downwind of the gazelles as not to alert them of her presence. Feitan watched her actions from where they originally came to a halt, still in a crouch. When she was in range to attack, she stopped and bided her time.

_Now!_ Kyu darted swiftly towards a fawn and within 5 metres of the startled creature, pounced; arms outstretched. The poor fawn stood no chance against this experienced predator while the rest of the herd dispersed. The struggle was short-lived. Kyu wrapped her arms around its neck and asphyxiated the baby animal.

Next she pulled out a blade from the leather sheath strapped around her waist and began to skin the gazelle quite expertly for someone who was only 7 years of age. She enjoyed hunting very much, and often lapsed into a trance-like state of mind.

"[Oi brat, why not try using that knife next time you're killing something?]"

"[Hmmm?]"

"[...]"

"[Oh yeah sorry I'm a bit out of it. I didn't use my knife because it makes too much of a mess. I just had my clothes washed you know?]"

"[Just get on with it.]"

"[Jeez you're the one who asked in the first place. Care to lend me a hand?]" Kyu meant it as a joke, but she was taken aback when he nodded in agreement. Not that she was going to complain or anything._  
_

Feitan approached the carcass, nails sharp and pointed.

"[You're using your nails? Cool! You know what to do right?]"

"[This is child's play. Don't insult me, brat.]"

"[Okay okay, I'll leave the skinning to you then. I'll get the meat.]"

The task didn't take long with two expert butchers at work. Soon there was a heap of striped hide lying on the ground, along with several slabs of meat. Kyu hadn't felt so happy in a long time, and her grin stretched from one side of her face to the other. Feitan noticed the air of contentment around her and thought,  
_I can almost her wagging a tail like a dog._

Still wearing a wide grin on her face, Kyu exclaimed, "[Main course acquired! Now for the seasoning~]"

At the word 'seasoning' Feitan tensed slightly. Her definition of 'seasoning' was synonymous with the words 'deadly poison' in his dictionary.

The girl was too excited to notice and simply jumped from place to place, tasting different herbs and fruit.

"Heurk-" A hand grabbed her by the collar, half choking her.

"[Not so fast brat. Let me have a look at everything you're planning to use.]"

"[Sure!]" A pile of funny smelling leaves and berries were shoved under his nose. For the next five minutes the following conversation could be heard:

"[This isn't edible. Throw it away.]"

"[Whaaat? But it tastes so good!]"

"[These purple berries are deadly.]"

"[Noooo! My berries!]"

"[...Did you collect anything edible at all?]"

"[They're all edible. You're just picky...]"

"[Say that again piece of shit.]"

"[N-Nothing.]"

* * *

The young man ran at full speed, following the black Nen trail. Sensing he was drawing closer to his target, he gave an extra burst of speed.

* * *

"[Lunch is almost ready. Go wash your hands.]" Kyu added what remained of the spice pile that had passed Feitan's examination onto the slabs of venison frying on a slab of rock. She was cooking the meat using a grill built from rocks and heated by a small flame. A flint and steel was something she never failed to carry. The smell emanating from the meat was heavenly to the hungry duo. Even Feitan merely grumbled at being commanded by someone much younger than himself.

"[Can you also fill that flask with water? Thanks!]" She pointed to the gazelle-hide waterskin she made by stringing together the hide with some gut strings.

"[Don't push it kid.]"

"[Do you want lunch or not?]"

"mutter mutter"

"[Thought so.]"

When Feitan returned with the waterskin full of water she could feel the murderous aura seeping off him.

_You went too far..._

_Nah, watch this!_

"[Here you go!]" An exquisite piece of meat topped with crushed berries was handed to him on a flat piece of stone. His dark mood instantly vanished. He sat down a fair distance away from her and began to dine.

Kyu grinned._ Heh. Who would have known? Feitan has a weakness for good food.  
_

"[Hey brat, if you're not going to eat that I'm taking it.]"

"[Whaaat?! No way, that's mine! H-how did you manage to finish so fast? Did you even chew the food...]"

Feitan eyed her share with a hungry look in his eye.

Kyu sweat-dropped. "[...I made extra. You can have seconds so long as you leave mine alone. It's not like you can eat it anyway, I put some extra herbs on it.]"

She forked the remaining piece of meat over to his 'plate'. Feitan didn't waste a single moment to thank her and instead dug into his meal.

Kyu sighed and devoured her own piece of venison.

_Mmm... delicious._

_I agree. His piece probably doesn't taste as nice._

_People with weak stomachs can't be choosers._

_Haha yeah._

* * *

He caught scent of meat being fried. Some VERY delicious meat. And it was coming in the same direction as where the Nen trail was leading.

_Enjoy your last meal, scum, for it will be your last._

* * *

Feitan suddenly froze on the spot.

_Someone is approaching fast. An enemy?_

"[Brat. Hide.]" he hissed.

_I can feel their Nen. It's nothing strong compared to other Nen users. However if they decide to attack... I won't be able to fend them off in my injured state. Damn it!_

"Whu?"

"[Do it!]" Kyu heard the urgency in his voice. She glanced around to find a suitable hiding place.

"[Where do I hide? Where _can_ I hide? This isn't a forest you know!]"

"[Then just shut up and get ready!]"

Kyu pulled out her knife and crouched into her fighting stance. Feitan did his best to get into a suitable fighting stance too, despite his injury.

_Tsk. All we can do is wait now..._

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**Who doesn't love a good hot meal after a long journey? I certainly do! I apologise for the crappy cliffhanger. I'm no good when it comes to cliffhangers, I just can't write them D:  
**

**This chapter took a while to type up because my internet failed several times when I tried to save and I lost a lot of progress. :/**

**Next chapter coming soon, so please R&R if you enjoyed :D**


	8. Chapter 8

******I DO NOT OWN HUNTER X HUNTER OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS. THAT BELONGS TO NO-LONGER-ON-HIATUS-TOGASHI. HOWEVER KYU DOES BELONG TO ME SO DON'T USE HER WITHOUT MY PERMISSION.**

******************A note before you start reading, all dialogue that looks like "[This stuff inside here with the weird brackets]" is spoken in Chinese. _Italics _are for thoughts.**

******************Enjoy!**

******************XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

A cloud of dust exploded some 20 metres away from Feitan and Kyu, sending bits of grass flying everywhere.

Kyu crouched lower and bared her teeth at the unseen threat. "Who's there?" She growled.

"I never expected to cross paths with children. Especially not children who kill the loved ones of others."

The dust cleared and a man stepped into sight. He wore navy pants and a brown coat on top of a black vest. His short brown hair was matted with sweat from the long chase. The young man was almost twice the height of Kyu and assumed upon sight that his adversaries were both children. Feitan was more than a little miffed at the man's ignorance.

"Who are you? What you want?" the black haired man hissed defiantly.

"It was you who killed my mother wasn't it?. Even if you're a child, I won't show any mercy. You showed no mercy to her either."

_His mother? Wait a second... the innkeeper! She mentioned having a son. Crap! Damn it Feitan you bloodthirsty idiot! Look at the mess you got us into!_ Now it was Kyu's turn to glare.

"Mercy? You make me laugh. The weak do not show mercy to the strong."

Roaring with rage the taller man charged at the shorter man swinging his Nen-coated fists. Feitan mustered just enough Nen in his arms to block his attacks. He could tell his opponent was not a fighter type. Under normal circumstances the man would already be lying dead on the ground. As it was, Feitan barely kept up with his flurry of fists.

_I could kill him easily if I weren't injured. To be defeated by a maggot like him... I won't let it happen!_

Kyu watched the fight unfold in front of her, unable to take part. She could tell Feitan's opponent far more powerful than she from the impact of their punches. The moment she jumped into that fight she'd be knocked out of it. Blood welled from her lip as she bit herself, trying to resist the urge to help her companion. All the child could do was watch as the Chinese man gradually weakened.

"Kuhk-" A well aimed punch sent Feitan sprawling.

"Not so cocky now that you're on the ground?" His attacker pinned him down on the ground.

"Get off him!" Kyu could contained herself no longer. She gave less than a rat's ass about how strong her opponent was and instead gave in to her animal instincts. Her small body was flung aside as she tried to stab the larger man.

"Wait your turn, girl." It took him nearly no effort to swat her away. He then began to beat up Feitan, who was still trying to defend himself.

_Ugh... I think I dislocated my shoulder... where'd my knife go?_

_Screw your knife! Just bite him!_

_You serious?!_

_Yes! If you can get your teeth around his throat he's as good as dead. Do it!_

Kyu charged at him again, this time darting to left quickly before latching onto the man's back and sinking her sharp canines into his vertebrae.

"Why you little- Fine, since you want to die so badly then you can go ahead and die!" The man pulled his arm back and flung a weak emitter attack.

Kyu's world rocked as his Nen came into contact with the side of her skull. She flew right off his back and landed in a crumpled heap several metres away. Pain struck repeatedly into her brain, sending her senses into disarray. Feitan took advantage of the brief opening, hurled the man off him, and flipped himself to his feet a fair distance away. He spared a second to take a brief glance at the girl lying on the ground.

_She's either dead or disabled. No ordinary human can take a Nen attack and get away unscathed._

And how right he was. Kyu was swimming through a world of crimson agony. Headaches pierced her skull in waves. Her aura nodes had been forced open by the other man's own aura and she was quickly running out of life force. There was no time for him to worry about anything other than his own life as the other man recovered and rushed at him once again.

* * *

_AAAAUGH IT HURTS! IT HURTS IT HURTS IT HURTS-_

_Kehehehe... do you feel it? Ahh- that sweet, sweet agony._

_AAARRRGH!_

_Let me take control. I don't mind it at all. In fact, it's enjoyable. Hehe._

_ANYTHING TO STOP IT. ANYTHING!_

_Anything? My help doesn't come for free buddy.  
_

_I DON'T CARE! JUST MAKE IT STOP!_

_In that case, it's showtime! Go hide in a corner until it's over.  
_

* * *

An immense influx of aura erupted and sent both combatants hurtling back.

"What the-"

Malicious intent poured from the small figure that had been incapacitated on the ground just moments ago. The taller man felt incredibly nauseous from the overwhelming force, like he was being plunged into a whirlpool. On the other hand, Feitan had enough experience with killing intents to fend off any ill effects.

_That child-! _Feitan squinted with Gyo.

With his Nen enforced eyes he could see purple aura swirling around Kyu, forming something massive and shapeless. Wait- the aura was beginning to elongate in several places until nine tails were visibly sprouting from behind her. It also wrapped around her arms to become huge clawed hands. The aura around her feet remained relatively normal, albeit a little thick. Three pairs of ears sprouted on top of its head to complete the translucent purple beast enveloping the small child.

_What is this? A Nen technique? Impossible! That kid can't know anything about Nen, let alone use it at such a young age. Even if she survived the Nen baptism from my weak emission attack she can't have possibly learned to use it in the matter of minutes. She's a monster!_

"Kehe... Heh... Ahahaha- GYAHAHAHA!" Quiet giggles crescendo-ed into mad laughter. The laughter stopped as suddenly as it had started. A psychotic grin split the child's face like an gash that extended from one side of her face to the other as she tilted her head to stare at both men with crazy black eyes. The blood dripping down her forehead just added to the general creepiness of it all.

For the first time since meeting the child, Feitan felt disturbed. Not afraid, but disturbed. Sure, he had suspected there was something wrong with the seemingly innocent child at first glance (and who wouldn't, knowing her entire clan was massacred overnight?) but he never dreamed she would be completely crazy. What disturbed him was the fact she had managed to conceal it so well, or at least suppress it in the very least.

* * *

Kyu felt unbelievable power flowing through her body like a flood of fire. She kept grinning at the amazing sensation and the urge to tear apart every living thing she saw welled up in her chest. She shuddered slightly, not out of horror, but out of excitement. She still had no idea why she felt so strong but spared no fucks about it. Once again she contemplated the option of tearing apart the two people standing several metres away.

_No! Don't!_

What was this? Oh right. Her other self. The pitiful thing that had relinquished control over the body over to her just because of a bit of pain.

_I'm not pitiful you crazy freak._

True. The current Kyu felt no pity. She stopped grinning and placed a finger on her chin in a thoughtful manner. If she wasn't pitiful then what would she be? Pathetic?

_I'm not pathetic either. You're insulting yourself._

That wouldn't do. She had her pride. Kyu half-wished for the voice in her head to go back to cowering in a corner of her mind. But then again, why did she care? No harm could come from her pleading cries when she ripped those two apart.

_Not happening. I won't let you kill Feitan, I still need him._

Kyu's grin slowly spread. The black haired man was off limits, but the other man... he was fair game.

_Yeah sure. I'd actually rather if you killed the other guy before he kills Feitan. Like he's trying to do right now._

Her attention snapped back to present just in time for her to catch sight of the brown-haired man jumping on the stupefied Asian.

* * *

While Feitan didn't suffer much from Kyu's intense killing aura, he was slower to recover than his adversary. In all honesty he hadn't recovered at all. The words:

_What the fuck._

_What in the actual fuck._

_The brat's a fucking psycopath._

_What the fuck._

repeated over and over in his mind. He had just begun to trust the innocent looking kid when BAM! Insta-psychopath! Feitan only returned to his senses when the fist of the other man was 3 centimetres from his face. By then it was too late for him to react.

Luckily for him he didn't need to. A huge purple claw of aura snatched his would-be-murderer out of the air and crushed the poor man into a pulp. Feitan hissed and stepped back quickly to avoid being splattered by bits of bloody gristle. Harsh insults readied themselves on his tongue as he spun on the spot and prepared to give his savior a verbal beating.

"[Why you-]" A subtle tilt of her head stopped him short. That bloodthirsty look hadn't left her eyes. Eyes that were resting on him.

_Out of the wolf's den, and into the tiger's mouth... _He thought, the old chinese idiom fitting the situation perfectly. The fact that it fit made him anything but joyous. He knew that if she decided him a nuisance, death would be inescapable.

His worry was short lived. Kyu collapsed from exhaustion several moments later.

_Not so amazing after all. The brat can't even close off her own aura nodes._

Feitan picked her knife off the long grass and positioned it above her unconscious body and aimed straight at her unprotected neck.

_I should kill this brat while I can. Once she wakes up, there's no guarantee she won't attempt to kill me._

Narrowing his eyes, Feitan brought the knife down. Halfway down its intended path it stopped.

_On second thought... if I can make her obey me... she might prove herself useful. I can't deny that her talent for Nen is amazing. That man... he worsened my injuries slightly. It'll be hard to complete my objective if I kill this girl now. However, if she does try to kill me..._

The Chinese man debated silently with himself for a good while, knife still held in the same position. Minutes ticked by as Kyu lay at the mercy of a cold-blooded murderer.

_Swish._ The blade swept swiftly towards her back, slipping cleanly back into its sheath. Feitan had chosen to let her live to see another day.

_I'm going to regret this..._

* * *

_Ow._ Kyu woke up with the king of all headaches. _Gaaah... Damn it. What the hell happened back there?_

_You got hit in the head. Duh._

_Then I got to go out and have some fun *giggles*_

_Ugh... I didn't mean that..._

"OW!" Someone jabbed the side of her head hard, right where it ached.

"[Brat, what the hell happened back there?]" Kyu's eyebrow twitched uncontrollably. What he asked was exactly what she was thinking.

"[That really hurt! And I don't know what you're talking about.]"

_It's not a total lie. I have no idea what happened. But I'll just pretend I have a concussion or something._

_Hell yes. Let's play around with him a bit.  
_

_You'd better tell him the truth later. He might kill you if you don't._

_Wow jeez way to kill the mood._

Feitan gave her an incredulous, narrow-eyed look. He obviously didn't buy her half-truth.

"[Tell me the truth before I regret letting you live.]"

"[I just did.]"

Feitan scowled. "[Don't mess with me, you piece of shit. I can interrogate you the hard way if you don't spit it out.]"

"[Uhh...]" Kyu could tell he wasn't kidding. She yielded with a sigh. "[I was planning to tell you anyway, no need to get pissy. I really don't know what happened back there. What I do know is that crazy-for-revenge-guy blasted my skull with some weird weapon, I almost blacked out from the pain, then one of my alternate personalities took over to fight the pain. Somehow my crazy side managed to gain a tonne of power and went... well, crazy. Then it crushed the other man by just reaching out and grabbing the air from what; several metres away? After that I think I blacked out for real.]"

"..."

"..."

"..."

"[...Hey Feitan?]"

"[What.]"

"[Are you magic?]"

"[...What?]"

"[Seriously, are you? And did I use magic too? I've always wanted magic to be real. My theory had always been that science and magic cannot exist together in one dimension because of their conflicting laws and nature. Unless someone managed to develop a way to cross the dimensions or open a temporary rift between two dimensions (or should I say worlds) to allow the use of magic in our world. If you really can use magic, can you pleeeeaaase teach me?]"

"..."

"..."

"[...What?!]"

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**I hope that wasn't too bad a chapter. Hey, don't judge me, Kyu was going to discover her Nen abilities sooner or later. I just wanted to spice it up a bit.**

**Peace!**


	9. Chapter 9

******I DO NOT OWN HUNTER X HUNTER OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS. THAT BELONGS TO NO-LONGER-ON-HIATUS-TOGASHI. HOWEVER KYU DOES BELONG TO ME SO DON'T USE HER WITHOUT MY PERMISSION.**

**Before this chapter starts, I'd like to say a big thank you to everyone who's been reading so far. An extra special thanks to foreverellen and AnimeLover3232 for the continued support + reviews. To those of you who've pmed me tips and advice (you know who you are, don't be shy XD) I really appreciate the time spent on those tips. So once again, thank you everyone!  
**

**Ok I'll shut up now and let you read :P**

******************A note before you start reading, all dialogue that looks like "[This stuff inside here with the weird brackets]" is spoken in Chinese. _Italics _are for thoughts.**

******************Enjoy!**

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_"...What."_

* * *

Kyu leaned in close and repeated her question.

"[Will you teach me magic?]"

The bewildered Chinese man leaned away from the keen child, feeling completely lost. He understood no more than 50% of what she just said. His brain was stuck somewhere in between the words 'magic' and 'dimension' and everything that came next just flew through one ear and out the other. To Kyu, however, he seemed to be wearing his normal grumpy face. Mistaking his confusion for disdain, she quickly changed her approach.

"[How rude of me. Here, let me check your wounds.]"

When Feitan made no sign to move, she walked over to the shocked man and tried to take off his shirt and vest.

Feitan snapped back to reality in an instant. Reflexively he whacked Kyu away before she could touch him. "[Hands off, brat.]" He snarled.

"[Well then take it off yourself. I'm going to gather some plants.]"

The man watched until she was out of sight, then slid down the side of a tree to rest his sore body. The fight took quite a bit of energy out of him, and the fact that he had to lug Kyu halfway across the savannah didn't improve his condition. However, when he recalled everything the child had asked him, his mouth curled into an amused smile.

_So the brat knows nothing about Nen after all. Magic? How utterly amusing. She really is stupid.__  
_

"[Woah. You're smiling.]"

Feitan dropped the smile and tensed immediately. He relaxed again when he realised it was Kyu, and not another enemy.

"[Sorry. I didn't mean to surprise you.]"

Feitan scowled his displeasure. Then he had an idea.

_Hmm... If she wants to learn 'magic' so badly, then I'll teach her this 'magic'. I might neglect to tell her a few things for the fun of it. That way I'll have something to keep me amused and someone to defend me while I'm injured. She might even prove to be a useful scapegoat._

Kyu saw an evil look in Feitan's eye and knew he was up to something.

_As long as he doesn't kill me it should be fine..._

_Good luck with that._

_Oi. shut up._

"[I'll teach you.]"

Shocked silence.

"[Really?]" Kyu bounced up and down on the spot in excitement. Was he really going to teach her magic?

"[Don't make me repeat myself.]"

"[YES! When do we start?]"

"[After you cook dinner.]"

Kyu glanced up at the sky. It was late afternoon. "[What about your wounds?]"

"[I'm not a weakling like you brat. I can do it myself.]"

Deciding against provoking her new-found teacher, Kyu kept her mouth shut and went back to find the gazelle carcass they left earlier. To her relief the meat was still fresh. She quickly cut a thin layer off the surface of the meat, then cut out several chunks of meat. Looking around, she also managed to find the waterskin Feitan hadn't bothered to carry. Lastly Kyu sniffed around for any herbs and berries that had previously passed Feitan's examination. As much as she wanted to, she wasn't going to use everything that tasted delectable, only the select few that agreed with Feitan's weak stomach.

_Is that everything? Let's hurry back._

_Hell yes. We're going to learn magic!_

_Assuming he's not messing with you. Or if magic is even real._

_Don't be a party pooping pessimist jeez._

Kyu shook her head to clear out any unnecessary thoughts before sprinting back to where her 'magic' teacher was waiting for her. There she found him sitting on the ground, pile of yarrow nowhere in sight.

"[Dinner will be ready in 10 minutes.]"

"[Hmph.]"

* * *

After a satisfying meal, Kyu felt slightly sleepy. The fire was warm, the sun had set, and her grumpy companion had stopped glaring at her for a while. Her eyelids drooped lower and lower as she began to nod off to sleep.

"[Brat, wake up.]"

_Zzz..._

A tad annoyed he was being ignored, Feitan picked up a pebble and lobbed it hard at the injured spot on Kyu's head.

"OW! What the hell!"

"[I told you to wake up, you lazy piece of shit.]"

"[It doesn't give you any right to throw something at my injury! You ignored me plenty yesterday but I never threw something at your chest!]"

"[Hmph. Like I told you, only the strong have any rights in this world. And right now you're a pathetic weakling.]"

Kyu sweatdropped. _Suuure... who saved who this morning?_

"[Which is why I'm going to teach you 'magic']"

Kyu stopped pouting immediately and perked up. "[Really? Now?]

"[Don't make me repeat myself, brat.]"

* * *

A long walk later, the two stopped at a moderately flat stretch of land. Kyu was raring to go. Noticing her enthusiasm, her companion laughed inwardly.

_I'll teach the brat the proper Nen principles under the pretext of 'magic'. It'll give me something to feel amused about when I'm bored. _

"[First lesson: General knowledge of magic.]" The corners of his mouth twitched when he said the word 'magic'. Kyu listened intently, missing all the signs that she was being mislead. Being the video game guru he is, Feitan decided to replace the word 'aura' with 'mana'.

"[The power produced by magic is called 'mana'. Mana keeps everything (even you, you piece of shit) alive. Which means everyone has mana, including weaklings (like you). There are two ways people learn to use mana. One is to naturally learn to control it via mediation. The other is to have your mana nodes forcefully opened by a mana attack, like you did.]"

Kyu nodded.

"[The four major principles of magic are Ten, Zetsu, Ren and Hatsu. Go learn what they mean yourself, I don't want to spare the effort explaining to an idiot. However, I will tell you what they do. But first I'll have you open those mana nodes again. Then imagine it flowing around yourself like shroud. After that-]"

He faltered when he noticed her tilt her head. "[What?]"

"[Uh... how do I open those mana node things again?]"

"[...]"

"[No seriously. How?]"

"[You did it before.]"

"[Ahem. Surely you mean my _other_ self opened them. I was stuck in the back of my brain while it all went down.]" Kyu was met by an expected scowl as she braced herself for the onslaught of verbal abuse.

"[You are your other self, you stupid piece of shit. Don't waste my time with your miserable whining and do what I told you to.]"

Even though she had expected to hear those words, they still stung. Kyu closed her eyes and focused on obeying his command. _Nnngh... _Her brow furrowed with the effort.

"[What are you trying to do brat? Take a shit?]"

Kyu abruptly gave up trying to open up her nodes. "[I can't do it.]"

Feitan was not impressed. "[Then I'll do it for you. The hard way.]"

_Uh oh. _"[Give me a few more minu-]"

The child was sent flying before she could finish her sentence.

_She's not lying after all. I didn't see any changes in her normal aura when I hit her. Is she dead?_

"[Owwww...]" By the time her tumble slowed to a roll, Kyu was covered head to toe in dirt, grass and god knows what else. _Guess not..._

"[Hey! It worked! I can see my mana!]" Feitan rolled his eyes. _Of course she's not dead._

"[Ok. Shroud done. What now?]" The girl had managed to get her aura under control in less than 8 seconds.

_Perhaps she does have some potential. _Thought Feitan. "[Now defend.]"

"[Wait wait wait-]" Once again, she was sent tumbling in the grass. Only now her arms felt sore and bruised from his punch. "[Come on Feitan, at least teach me how!]"

"[Magic.]" His foot connected with her gut. This was not the training she had in mind. "[Ugh- stop -bwah!]"

Luckily for her, Feitan still had trouble moving around. The best he could do was walk slowly up to her then unleash an attack, which left her less than ample time to prepare for the next one.

"[You're doing fine. Seeing as you're not dead, it means you are using your mana to protect your body.]" Boy was he enjoying this. Since he couldn't kill her yet, beating her up was the next best thing. _Another hour or two should be enough. I haven't had anyone to torture since this morning, and that brat makes me want to rip her tongue out of her head._

* * *

_1 hour later..._

* * *

Kyu skidded to a halt of her face for what seemed like the hundredth time. If it wasn't for her previous training, she'd have died on the third punch. But as things were she was gradually growing accustomed to every jab, hook and elbow he threw at her. Kyu couldn't see her own aura, but she could certainly feel it. And using that sense she gathered her aura instinctively to where her rough mentor was about to land his attack. Like this she managed to prevent any serious injuries such as broken bones. Bruises and cuts were a different story.

The tired girl pulled her body slowly and painfully.

"[Feitan, can we call it a day for now?]" She panted.

"[...]" _That guy... he's reluctant to stop beating the crap out of me..._

"[Do you want to get to Ryusegai in time? If we continue your 'teaching' I won't be able to stand tomorrow morning. Plus, it's getting late.]"

"[Fine.]"

Kyu instantly relaxed all of her muscles and slumped onto the ground. Tired right to the bone, she was tempted to fall asleep right there and then on the cold, hard ground. Bad move.

_WHAM._ She didn't even notice the black haired man swinging his fist at the side of her head, right where she was injured. His fist wasn't coated with Nen. If it had been her brains would be splattered over the grass. But by no means was it a wussy punch; the impact sent her flying yet again.

_That felt good. _Feitan flexed his hand a few times and casually glanced at where his 'student' had landed. He remained where he was for several minutes, waiting casually. Noticing that the girl wasn't moving he thought, _She must be weaker than I anticipated if she died from a soft jab to her skull. Even if I did aim for her vulnerable point._

He kept glaring at her, half hoping she would get up on her own. No such luck.

"Tch." Feitan moved closer to check whether she was alive or not.

Kyu's shoulders suddenly started shaking, from a slight shiver to violent quivering. Feitan immediately moved back cautiously. Something was wrong.

* * *

_"[Aaargh... Stupid short haired arsehole. That wasn't nice at all.]"  
_

Well, at least that's what she wanted to say. Instead she found herself drifting in some distant part of her mind. The pain was gone and she could still see, but it was like looking through a long scope. Not that grass was very interesting to look at. Kyu realised what was happening in a flash.

_Here we go again..._

_Welcome to the party bud!_

_Party my butt. The maniac is on the loose._

_Brighten up, that one won't kill him._

_Good._

_She might maim him though._

_WHAT?!_

_Heh. Just kidding. We don't break promises. Remember the one we made?_

_No acting upon grudges?_

_Yup. That one. I think he triggered a personality swap when he whacked you on the skull. 'Tis only temporary I should think.  
_

_It had better be._

_Well, let's just all hang around and watch the action._

* * *

"Kekeke..."

Feitan recognised those giggles instantly and scowled. This was _not _good. Crazy Kyu was back in business, along with that swirling purple aura. Strangely it didn't seem to be forming into that Nen creature he saw earlier. It remained swirling in erratic motions around her. Kyu wasn't leaking any killing intent either. She just kept gazing at him with a frenzied look in her eye.

_She wants to catch me off guard. Just like I did to her. _Feitan was convinced she wanted revenge and he kept himself at the ready for any sudden moves. Which was exactly why he flinched when she just turned around, moved a fair distance away, lay down and closed her eyes.

* * *

_..._

_That was unexpectedly boring._

_You mean 'extremely fortunate'. _

_Hey crazy, why didn't you do anything?_

_Don't provoke it, idiot!_

**_I wanted to tear him from limb to limb so very veeeerry much... but promises are promises._**

_See? Told you so._

* * *

Feitan wanted to tear her from limb to limb so very very much as well. His reasons for not doing so were quite different.

And so ended their first training session.

_I will teach her real pain tomorrow. That brat had better be ready._

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**Anticlimax much? Did you guys expect for Kyu to beat the living crap out of Feitan? Nah, I'm not that mean XD**

**Next Chapter: Soon. Preferably after I get more than 5 hours of sleep.**


	10. Chapter 10

******I DO NOT OWN HUNTER X HUNTER OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS. THAT BELONGS TO NO-LONGER-ON-HIATUS-TOGASHI. HOWEVER KYU DOES BELONG TO ME SO DON'T USE HER WITHOUT MY PERMISSION.**

******Here's another quick update! I hope you enjoy it as much as the other chapters :D  
**

******Oh wow, it's been ten chapters already? Feels like much less, probably because I've really enjoyed writing up the story :P**

******But before we start, I'll answer a questions posed by xXIvoryElephantXx:  
So good! But how many alternate personalities does Kyu have?**

******Hehe. I thought that question might turn up sooner or later. The answer is 8, which makes 9 personalities in total (hint hint). 6 are passive voices in her head. Only 3 personalities ever gain control of her body. I won't go into too much depth, but that's the general idea. Ok I'll stop with the blathering and let you read now XD **

**************************A final note before you start reading, all dialogue that looks like "[This stuff inside here with the weird brackets]" is spoken in Chinese. _Italics _are for thoughts.**

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The next few days passed without much fuss as the duo headed towards the nearest big city; Zaban. Their daily schedule remained the same with the girl carrying Feitan from dawn till dusk, stopping only for the occasional meal and -ahem- toilet trips. Kyu's expertise in Nen combat improved at an alarming rate with each passing day in order for her to survive. Because Feitan was gradually recovering both his aura and strength, she could not afford to learn Nen slowly with a mentor that didn't know what the words 'go easy' mean. Although he was very cautious about where he aimed his attacks. He was cocky but not stupid. Another encounter with the child's crazy side might well be the end of him.

Saying Feitan's training was hard is pretty much the same as saying babies can survive military training. The only difference between the two is that for military training your life isn't in constant danger. And you get your meals cooked for you. Despite these hardships, Kyu still remained extremely inquisitive. Her nonstop questioning annoyed her bad-tempered companion the most. Her asking questions wouldn't have been so bothersome to him if she didn't repeat every question in the same tone of voice every time Feitan tried to ignore her. Hard whacks to the head proved useless for deterring someone like Kyu. She simply became accustomed to his violent behaviour (much to his irritation).

Today was no different. Barely an hour of running passed before Kyu commenced with her daily task of interrogating the interrogator.

"[Hey Feitan.]"

"[What.]" The unhappy man growled, eyes like lasers.

"[How old are you?]"

"[...]"

"[Aw come on, you trusted me with your name, surely you can trust me with your age?]"

"[None of your business. Shut up or I'll stab you.]"

"[So how old are you?]"

_Thwack._

"[Feitan, how old are you?]"

_Thwack._

"[How old are you?]"

_THWACK._

Kyu winced slightly from that last whack. Yesterday, his bare handed whacks hardly hurt. Today they were twice as strong. Either he was healing at an incredible rate or yesterday was warm up.

_Meh. Don't care._

_I care! It hurts mate!_

_Oh you. The wussy one._

_Grrr... what does that make you? The dickheaded one?_

_So sweet of you to call yourself a dickhead._

_Like you even care._

_And that's the cynical one._

Shaking her head in exasperation at where her mental conversation was going again, she started pursuing an answer from Feitan again.

"[How old are-]"

_Thwack._

"[At least let me finish!]"

"[If it's going to be the same worthless garbage, I might as well hit you every time you open your mouth.]"

"[Or you could answer me?]"

_Thwack._

"[Ow. Fine then don't tell. I'm not making lunch.]"

"..."

"..."

A long chain of insults followed up the silence. Feitan let her know exactly what he thought of that idea in no uncertain terms.

"[That's not going to change my mind.]" The child did a wonderful job at pouting.

_Hiss. _"[Twenty.]"

"[Wow, you must really like my cooking.]"

"[Shut _up_.]"

"[You don't look twenty.]"

_Thwack._

Kyu laughed. "[Okay I'm sorry for asking.]" ("[Like you ever are...]" Feitan grumbled.)

"[Say... When did you learn magic?]"

"[What?]"

"[You know, the stuff you've been teaching me. Heh. 'Teaching'.]"

_Oh. She means Nen._

"[None of your business brat.]"

"[Then neither is your lunch.]"

Feitan scowled so hard his eyes became squinty lines. He gave her a good strong whack for good measure. "[Don't get cocky you piece of shit.]"

"[Ooh my head-]" She made a dizzy motion with her head, "[I'm feeling so faint, I won't be able to cook at all. Getting whacked on the head really puts off my appetite.]"

_Damn that arrogant brat. I want my lunch._

"[I learned it when I was small.]"

"[You mean when you were smaller,]" She snickered.

_THWACK THWACK THWACK. _Height was sensitive area for the short Chinese man.

"[OWOWOW stop stop! I take it back!]"

Feitan didn't even bat an eyelid at her pleas. His merciless punishment continued for another 5 minutes before his chest began to hurt again.

"[Uuughh... I think you gave me brain damage...]"

"[Good. Watch who you're getting friendly with.]"

"[The one I'm piggybacking. Duh. You really need to loosen up.]"

"Tch."

_Stupid jackass dwarf._

_Autistic little shit._

What occurred for the next hour could only be described as sulking. Both adult and child were fed up from their previous exchange. In the end, it was Kyu who broke the peace again.

"[So Feitan.]"

"[Ask another meaningless question again and I will rip your tongue out of you head.]"

"[How long till we get to Zaban city?]"

Feitan was surprised at her suddenly serious question. He contemplated the surrounding landscape before replying, "[Perhaps another hour. I know this area.]"

"[Sweet! What are we going to do once we get there?]"

"[Brat, there is no 'we'. What I am going to do is take an airship to Ryusegai.]"

"[Yeah yeah. And just how are you planning to accomplish that particular feat without any money? Don't glare at me now, it's not like I have any either.]"

"[Hmph. Wait and see.]"

"[How... fun.]"

* * *

"[Huh. You were right.]"

They arrived at Zaban city in no more than an hour. The streets were buzzing with morning life, adults rushing off to work, tourists darting from stall to stall, shady characters standing behind every stall. Torrents of new smells, sights and sounds tackled her senses. It was simply... amazing! She had never experienced something like this in her life. It was so very interesting, but at the same time, overwhelming. So it was no big surprise when she lost track of Feitan.

_Where did grumpyguts go?__  
_

_Good job dumbass. Less than 10 seconds after you reach the city you lose him._

_Oh no, did he ditch us?_

_Why wouldn't he?_

_Shut up._

"[Oi. Brat. Are you coming or not?]"

Kyu spun around to find Feitan standing several metres away, aloof and impatient.

"[C-coming.]"

The curious child hurried over to follow him the crowds, all the while taking in everything the city had to offer; every building, every person, every food. Kyu spent most of her life cooped up in a forest. To her, this was a whole new world full of adventures. Most importantly, there were brand-new foods she could taste!

"[Hey Feitan?]"

The man groaned slightly. He had been hoping her curiosity would keep her occupied for the rest of the day.

_Well... it was a long shot._

"[Heeeey Feitan~]"

"[What now.]" He snapped.

"[Can we get some food?]"

"[Go catch some yourself. Don't bother me.]"

Big black puppy eyes stared at his back. "[But I don't have any money...]"

"[...]"

"[Please Feitan?]"

"[...Then steal it.]"

"[What?]"

"[I don't like repeating myself.]"

"[But I don't know how.]"

Kyu almost bumped into Feitan as he stopped walking all of a sudden. _Oh no. He's mad at me isn't he?_

"[Nevermi-]"

"[Shut up.]"

_Huh?_

She watched as the older man's hand disappear into some passerby's pockets, returning into sight with a plump wallet. Not a single person noticed his act of swiftness except for the wide-eyed girl.

"[WOW.]"

"[Keep your mouth shut girl.]" He tossed her the wallet. Kyu wasted not a second. She weaved in and out of crowds to buy any food she came across, then bounded back to the black-haired thief, all sorts of snacks stuffed into her mouth.

_That was so cool!_

_I know right? He managed to steal that wallet in a flash!_

_That's against the law._

_Shush. Don't be a killjoy._

"[Feishan wund dome? (Feitan want some?)]"

She was met with a cold reply, "[Mouth shut, disgusting brat. Crumbs are spraying everywhere.]"

_Hygiene freak._

_Definite hygiene freak._

_Hehe... let's spit on him some more._

_Hell no. I ain't wastin' this yummy food._

Eventually Kyu decided not to get on the man's bad side, especially not after he bought her food. An act deserves another of the similar nature. That was her motto. It obviously wasn't Feitan's, otherwise he would have expressed his gratitude through something other than violence. The rest of the day was spent uneventfully, with Kyu darting from stand to stand to get local delicacies while Feitan searched for a place to spend the night. He was surprisingly ahead of schedule, all thanks to Kyu's backbreaking effort.

Now that time was no longer a problem, Feitan could concentrate on recuperating. His strength had only recovered about 10%. Full recovery would take at least another two weeks; perhaps a week if given correct treatment.

_During this period of time I will acquire an airship. _He glanced at the child busily stuffing her face. _...What should I do with this brat?_

"[Yes Feitan?]"

"[Nothing.]"

_Two options. Either I kill her-rather tempting really. I could probably pull it off unless her split personality comes out again. -or I can take her along. And spend the time and effort to train this useless lump of stupidity. _

"Achoo!" Chunks of half chewed scorpion chicken flew out of Kyu's mouth and splattered several people walking nearby. She uttered some quick apologies towards the shrieking lady who's gown she just ruined.

_Then again... she's a quick learner. It's possible she might prove herself useful. Her Nen ability seemed powerful. I want to test it._

"[Brat. Wait here.]"

"[Ok,]" she continued to chew on a seahorse kebab.

Feitan returned 3 minutes later holding a glass wine cup (stolen of course). The cup drew her attention for a few seconds before she returned to munching. She wasn't bothered to ask him what it was for and simply followed him into secluded alley. Smoke streamed from several restaurant chimneys. Apart from a few rats and some alley cats the two remained undisturbed. The man filled the glass with water from a nearby tap before placing it down on a small vegetable crate. Lastly he floated a small leaf on the surface of the water to complete the Nen testing apparatus.

"[Stop stuffing your face and come over here now, brat.]" He nodded towards where the glass was placed.

"[I finished eating ages ago. What's going on?]"

"[Use your N- mana on this glass of water. It will determine your magical attribute.]"

Without waiting for further instructions Kyu held her hands around the glass and concentrated her aura into them.

"..."

"..."

Kyu looked troubled. "[Nothing is happening? Does that mean I don't have an attribute?]"

Feitan walked over and dipped a finger into the water. Bringing his finger to his mouth, he tasted the water.

_...Strange. This water tastes plain. I'm fairly sure her ability is based off Transmutation... the brat must have done something wrong._

_Whack._

"[Owww...]"

"[Redo. This time coat your hands with more mana.]"

And that was exactly what she did. He sensed the aura around her hands increase about threefold. Feitan positioned himself right behind her to observe any subtle changes in the glass.

_Drip._

"[...Feitan are you...?]"

"[What?]" The older man scowled.

"[Uh... are you drooling on me?]"

"[What?]" He gave her a death glare for suggesting something so disdainful.

"[I felt liquid falling on my head. Thought it might have been you since you're standing so close.]"

"[Well it wasn't. Suggest something so disgusting again and I will slit your throat.]"

Silence ensued as she concentrated harder.

_Drip. Drip. Drip._

This time she ignored the droplets of water dripping on her head.

_Grr... this isn't working. And I bet Feitan really is drooling on my head._

_Gross. Why isn't anything happening?_

_Hell if I know. Anyone got any suggestions?_

_Hehe~ Why not increase the mana again? This time by much more~!_

_For once the crazy one actually offers a constructive piece of advice. Amazing._

_Let's do it! Power times ten!_

The aura on her hands flared up by a considerable amount. _Take this you stupid glass of-_

_SPLASH._

Feitan took a quick step back to avoid the flood of water landing on the child's head. Kyu was _not_ happy. Her hair was completely drenched, causing it to mat all over her face in clumps. The whirled around to stare at Feitan wearing a 'not amused' expression. Feitan glared right back.

"..."

"..."

The staring competition lasted for a few more moments before Feitan noticed the now empty glass. _So she's a Specialist, like Chrollo. Very strange indeed._

"[Congratulations, brat. You're a Specialist.]"

She cheered up immediately. "[Does that make me special?]" she said with a wry grin. Now it was Feitan's turn to giver her that expression. "[Heh. I couldn't resist. So what kind of magic can I cast?]"

"[I don't know.]"

"[...Helpful.]"

"[Specialists develop abilities unique to themselves. The effect of your mana on the glass should provide some insight.]"

Kyu pondered what he said for a few seconds. She was a bit dubious about the second part of his advice. "[The effect? You mean the water splashing on my head? So my ability should be related to water or the displacement of objects in inconvenient locations? Great...]"

"[Try using that ability you used in the savannah.]" he suggested quietly.

"[Haven't we pretty much established that _that_ particular ability is only accessible to my crazy split personality?]"

"[Then good luck with your magic brat.]"

_I'm gonna need it..._ Kyu groaned inwardly. _Wait a second. Maybe I already know what it is._

Feitan was getting ready to leave.

"[Feitan, do you remember the morning you tried to kill me?]"

He turned around to face her, boredom written all over his face. "[Which one.]"

The girl sweatdropped. "[The first morning you tried to kill me.]"

Feitan waited for her to continue.

"[You know, when you were about to kill me and all you suddenly passed out.]"

Upon hearing this he frowned. It was true. He hadn't been able to finish the job when he was sitting on top of her. The man couldn't remember how she managed to escape alive either.

"[Continue.]"

"[I think that was my proper ability. Because when you were about hit me in the head, I concentrated really hard on fist, wishing it would reappear elsewhere. The most favourable location being above your own head. Please don't get mad at me...]"

Feitan thought about the possibility of that happening. Sure, it seemed pretty likely. It was probably exactly what happened because when he woke up that afternoon he noticed a sore bump on the back of his head.

"[In that case, use your ability again. Right here.]"

"[Ok. Give me a moment.]"

Kyu's brow furrowed with intense concentration. Using her mind, she blocked out every distraction. Every car, every wisp of smoke, all of the going-ons in the town she picked up with the help of her sensitive nose and ears. When her mind was clear, she pictured the glass appearing in front of her. Nothing happened.

_Maybe that wasn't your ability._

_No, I'm sure it is. I must be doing it wrong._

_Try picturing it another way. Maybe your ability doesn't allow you to rematerialise objects in different locations. Maybe it acts as a gateway?_

_Wow. That's like, a whole new level of stupid._

_Shut up and let me try._

_Go right ahead. You're only going to look dumb to all of us here._

_'All of us' being me. So shut up.  
_

This time, instead of trying to make an object displace itself, she imagined the space in front of her being connected directly to where Feitan was standing a few metres away. She kept her concentration as she slowly lifted her hand, pushing it into the imaginary shortcut she had in mind.

"..."

"..."

Much to her astonishment, her hand had disappeared from the end of her arm. Startled, she withdrew her arm. When she noticed it was still attached, she reached inside the invisible gateway again. This time her hand was met with resistance on the other end. She felt something... warm and rough. Kind of like cloth.

"[...Brat. What do you think you're doing?]"

Kyu looked up in surprise. "[Huh?]"

It was only now she noticed her hand was firmly planted on his chest. Not to mention she was making groping motions with her fingers.

"[HUH?!]"

"[...Remove your hand before I remove it for you. Permanently.]"

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**What did you think about the ending? I do try my best to throw in a bit of humor. I know, I know, typical Specialist type OC. Here's a hint; she's not really a Specialist. Rather I should say 'not only'. Go figure.**

**Next update: Soon.**


	11. Chapter 11

**********I DO NOT OWN HUNTER X HUNTER OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS. THAT BELONGS TO NO-LONGER-ON-HIATUS-TOGASHI. HOWEVER KYU DOES BELONG TO ME SO DON'T USE HER WITHOUT MY PERMISSION.**

**Another chapter done~! I've been pretty tired lately (no thanks to prelims coming up and all). I'll still try to keep up the updating pace, but the quality of the story might go down a bit D:**

**Hold the rotten tomatoes! I'm still trying my best ok? ;-;**

**Ah~ don't mind me. Just enjoy reading!**

******************************A note before you start reading, all dialogue that looks like "[This stuff inside here with the weird brackets]" is spoken in Chinese. _Italics _are for thoughts.**

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Eek!"

Kyu tore her hand away from his chest like it was hot iron. Heck, she wouldn't be surprised if it was iron. Those muscles were as hard as rock.

_This is going to hurt..._

_Stop cowering. It's pathetic._

_Noooo don't let him hit us run run run-_

_Coward._

_Rip him apart! It'll be fun~_

_Watch out, here he comes._

Feitan advanced, step by step. Part of Kyu wanted to turn tail and run and the other part wanted to face him head on. She settled with the in-between option of backing away slowly. It was too late by the time she realised she had backed herself into a dead end. Now she was completely at his mercy. And being at the mercy of a cold-blooded murderer (who was most likely pissed) was not a favourable situation to get trapped in. The small man towered over the even smaller child; face devoid of emotion. Kyu readied herself for a glancing blow.

When none came she risked a peek. It was pretty hard to figure out what Feitan was thinking, but Kyu had gotten accustomed to his body language and facial expressions over the past few days; at least enough to understand that she wasn't in any immediate danger. She responded by relaxing and waiting patiently for him to finish thinking.

She didn't need to wait long.

"[Use your ability again.]"

"[Sure.]" She pictured a portal leading from the space in front of her to another site. This time she concentrated on a spot above their heads.

"[Keep your ability active.]"

_Easy enough. I just need to keep focusing on the two places._

_Then stop thinking about other stuff and keep focusing._

_Shh._

Kyu watched as Feitan passed his hand through the invisible gateway she had created. As expected, half of his limb reappeared above their heads. When he was satisfied with the effect, he withdrew his arm and inserted a stick through the portal._  
_

"[Deactivate it now.]"

She stopped using her ability and watched in awe as the stick sliced cleanly in two.

"[Wow. That is pretty cool.]"

"[It's... useful. Good job brat. You're not utterly useless after all.]"

Kyu didn't bother commenting. What was there to say to someone who compliments and insults you in the same sentence? A thought suddenly hit her.

"[Wait- how did you know where that gate was? Even I can't see it, I only know its whereabouts because I'm the one using it.]"

"[Stupid piece of shit. Use Gyo.]"

"[Oh.]" She remembered it as the technique she learned the previous night. Once again she activated her ability, only this time the difficulty increased considerably because she needed to concentrate on three things at once. The locations which the gateway connected; and focusing her aura into her eyes. After several failed attempts (Feitan glared impatiently each time she failed) she finally succeeded at activating her ability.

_This is so awesome._

A shining line of azure formed a glowing circle. When she peered inside the circle she could see the exit of the portal on the other side. Curiously she began to experiment a few things, all the while being careful not to close the portal she had created.

_Hmm... I wonder..._

Kyu stuck her hand through the gateway. She then tried to move her hand out of the portal by sliding it across the glowing line.

"[Ouch.]"

The edge of the line was as hard as concrete. _So the only way to remove something through a portal is either forwards or back, not sideways. Just as well. Seems more logical this way._

_Pfft. Since when was magic ever logical?_

_True._

Next she tried swiping her hand into the gateway from the side. Her hand passed right through without meeting any resistance, nor did it pass into the gateway.

_Looks as if the gateway thing is only effective when approached directly... interesting..._

"[Have you wasted enough time yet?]"

_This guy... has he no patience? Oh well. I can mess around with it later._

"[Ok. What's next?]"

"[Testing out your power.]" Annoyance washed over Kyu like a wave. Wasn't that exactly what she was doing a second ago?

Against her better judgement, she replied sarcastically, "[Huh. I'm so totally going to steal an airship with a measly little rip in space.]"

Silence.

Sweatdrop. "[You... you're not serious.]"

"[Succeed and I will let you tag along. For now.]"

_Sounds like a pretty sweet deal._

_It would be if I could steal an airship with an ability I acquired not five minutes ago._

_You won't know till you try._

_Or you can let me out._

_How is that an option?_

_I can kill everyone at the airports. Kehehe~ stealing an airship is no problem at all._

_No. That is out of question._

_Then good luck out there._

"[Well?]"

"[...I'll do it. But give me a few days.]" Kyu groaned loudly. What had she gotten herself into?

* * *

_What indeed...  
_

Exactly three days later, Kyu found herself standing inside the Zaban city airport.

The two gloomily dressed travelers stood beside the reception counters, earning weird glances every now and then. Kyu regretted agreeing to his preposterous suggestion fiftieth time. Just how exactly was she supposed to get them pass the security guards, checking gates or even the departure gates? The girl gave her companion a pleading look only to be met with a cold hard glare.

_Guess I'm alone on this._

_Heh. It's not too late to take up my offer._

_No way. Shut up and sit down. I'll do this myself._

With a surge of determination, Kyu walked up to the departure gates and took a good long stare at everything, memorising the positioning of everything like taking a mental photograph. Then she jogged back to Feitan and tapped him on the arm as a signal to fall back. He raised his eyebrow but refrained from saying anything. This time he was the one who followed her into an alley.

_Here goes nothing..._

Mentally she recalled the mental imprint of the airport she had stored a few seconds ago. Zooming in on the mental photograph, she imagined a portal opening up several metres past the departure gates. If anything, she had wasted the previous three days on practicing the basics. How incredibly stupid of her not to try new things.

_Come on, please work!_

Hearing Feitan's impressed 'hmph', she was certain that it had worked. She used Gyo to observe the portal she opened. It was as big a basketball. Hardly wide enough for them to fit through. Now it was time for the hard part. Even she wasn't sure if it would work or not, but it was the only option she had.

_Well... not the only option. The preferable is more accurate._

Daring not to blink, she stared straight at the portal and pictured it stretching wider and taller. Nothing happened. Unwilling to give up so easily, she concentrated harder on the edges, and pulled at it with imaginary hands. Her brow was creased with the effort.

Slowly but surely, the portal stretched larger and larger while maintaining its shape. She relaxed her mind when it reached from the ground to the height of her head. Much to her relief, the portal stayed the same size.

"[Ok. Let's go.]"

Both of them sunk into Zetsu to mask their sudden appearance inside the airport. Fortunately all the businessmen passing through seemed too centered in their phones to notice them. When Kyu heard no shouts or alarms raised, she repeated her strategy for the checking gates. By the time they made it into the actual airfield itself, Kyu was completely exhausted from all the trips they made back and forth.

As soon as they boarded an small airship, she collapsed onto the rough carpeted floor and fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.

"Tch. [Weakling.]" Feitan headed into the cockpit. The two unfortunate pilots sitting inside eating lunch were met with untimely deaths.

* * *

"[Get up. We're at our destination.]"

"Zzz..."

_Thump._

"[OW!]" Having a boot connect with your gut is never a good way to wake up. Kyu rubbed the sleep out of her eyes thinking, _At least it wasn't in the head..._

_If only... I would love to come out for some exercise~  
_

_Not in a million years buddy._

"[Woah.]" Rubbish covered the land as far as the eye can see. Smoke rose from the city like little spouts of steam. The dancing shadows of the city at sunset enthralled the forest child. Ryusegai looked very different from the pictures she had seen in books. The books depicted the city as a wasteland, devoid of life. Seeing it in person was simply... amazing. She was completely captivated by the endless landscape - until the stench of rotting garbage hit her full in the face.

"[GAAAAHHHH!]" Kyu clutched her nose in pain and rolled around on the floor as Feitan watched with a faint smile on his face. He wiped it off his face when the child at his feet looked up with watery eyes.

"[Stop whining, brat. This is city built from discarded possessions, by discarded people. What did you expect it to smell like? Roses?]"

"[Nnnggh my nose...]" Kyu still had a hand clamped firmly over her face.

Feitan rolled his eyes. "[Get used to it. We're landing.]"

"[...Wait. Who's flying this thing?]"

"[There is a function called autopilot, stupid shit.]"

"[Ah... ok.]"

* * *

The airship landed with a creak, dust clouds swarming over the mounds of old TVs, metal scraps and all sorts of strange items.

_The smell isn't so bad now that I've gotten used to it._

_It's like a mix of rust, old socks and musty books isn't it?  
_

_Strange. No rotting food. Can't smell any people either.  
_

_No crap genius. Your nose is half dead right now. It's amazing you can actually smell at all._

Kyu took in her surroundings as the dust settled, noticing makeshift houses and rundown buildings that hadn't been visible from a bird's-eye view. "Ah!" Numerous eyes were glistening from behind piles of rubbish.

"[Woah. People live in this dump?]"

_Thwack._

Feitan's mood turned sour. "[Watch your words, brat. This happens to be my hometown. Say anything bad and I will cut off your tongue.]"

_So he's from here huh? The books never mentioned any citizens in Ryusegai. It was always described as a huge uninhabited dump in the texbook._

"[I'm sorry. So what are we going to do now?]"

"[There is no 'we',] _Yeah yeah. I thought he hates to repeat himself... _"[as for me, I have business to attend to.]" Feitan darted through the hills of trash with ease, his wounds apparently healed.

Kyu struggled to keep up with him. Even though he was only half way to full recovery, he was still far superior in every aspect. Their training session yesterday almost ended with her head smashed to pieces. The tables had turned in his favour.

"[Wait -huff- you're too fast!]"

Feitan looked reasonably smug for someone running at 100km per hour. All of a sudden, he whirled around and punched the running girl full in the face. The impact behind his attack sent her flying back. There she sat in the dust, jaw dislocated and in shock. The man approached her, uttered a few quiet words, then disappeared. The girl lifted a hand to her face, a feeling of nostalgia replacing her shock. Swiftly she slid her jawbone back into place and began to caress her sore cheek.

_"[I will be back.]"_ These words echoed in her mind.

_He hasn't ditched me after all._

_That would have been extremely rude if it had been the case._

_His words are no guarantee to his return._

_Even so, I believe he wasn't lying._

_Kehehe... No matter. If he doesn't return, then I'll have my fun hunting him down to the ends of the world~_

_I won't let you._

_Pfft you? You can barely stop it from taking control when you're injured. How do you think you'll fare when your emotions are bubbling over in a mixture of hurt and betrayal?_

Kyu gritted her teeth in frustration. However much she wanted to deny it, she knew her other self was telling the truth. Annoying as they were, her personalities never lie. There'd be no stopping her psychotic self if Feitan really did abandon her. So for both of their sakes it was best if that didn't happen.

* * *

Feitan felt like a load had been lifted off his shoulders. He no longer had a hindrance tagging along with him everywhere. Originally he had planned to kill her as soon as he reached his hometown, but her Specialist ability proved to be very useful. Not to mention extremely rare and unique. If he could utilise her power properly... all of the possibilites! There wouldn't be a place in the world he couldn't steal from and no enemy would be able to escape from him either.

_But for that... I'll need to train her. A weakling is of no use to me. I will teach her how to strengthen and improve her 'magic'._ He snickered at the thought. _Then she will be my slave. After I meet with Chrollo, I will return to claim what is mine._

The short haired man quickened his pace and faded into the dying light.

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**I have a feeling this chapter progressed a little too quickly than intended. Did you guys enjoy?**


	12. Chapter 12

**********I DO NOT OWN HUNTER X HUNTER OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS. THAT BELONGS TO NO-LONGER-ON-HIATUS-TOGASHI. HOWEVER KYU DOES BELONG TO ME SO DON'T USE HER WITHOUT MY PERMISSION.**

**Guess who appears in this chapter? (Hint: It's someone from Ryusegai)  
**

**Friend: NO SHIT!**

**Me: ^.^'**

**I spent an entire day at home, so this chapter came out relatively quickly.**

******************************A note before you start reading, all dialogue that looks like "[This stuff inside here with the weird brackets]" is spoken in Chinese. _Italics _are for thoughts.**

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Streaks of red, orange and yellow painted the sky like watercolour. No wind rustled through the city of abandoned things, nor did it bring any clouds to provide some shade. A single child lay spread-eagled out in the open. She appeared to be dead- but upon closer inspection you could see her eyes blink every few minutes. Her eyes gazed blankly at the sky; seeing everything and nothing. Kyu suddenly snapped back to reality and called out,

"Who's there?"

She waited patiently for either a reply or for the person to show themselves. When neither of those things happened, she let out a sigh.

"Playing hide and seek are we?"

Kyu dragged herself up from the ground. She wobbled slightly before regaining her balance.

"I'll give you 5 seconds," The breathing of her prey became quick and shallow. _All the easier for me to find._

"5." Her shoes crunched on the dry ground.

"4." Kyu glanced around, pretending to be unaware of where her prey was hiding.

"3." Closer, closer.

"2." The shadow crouched beside an old refrigerator began to panic. _Should I run? No- there's no way she knows where I am._

"_1._" Small hands wrapped around the hider's mouth and wrists.

_"Found you~" _A voice whispered creepily. Teeth sunk into fleshy bit of Kyu's hand, causing her to release her captive.

"Hey hey, relax. I was just kidding." Two pairs of eyes stared at each other, grey and black. Now that Kyu had a clear sight at the other person, she discovered the dark skinned intruder was just a young girl like her. In fact, they were about the same age.

_I could use some company._ Immediately Kyu straightened up and beamed a big friendly smile at the suspicious youth.

The other girl simply continued to stare her down. Kyu rolled her eyes and tried a different approach. A direct approach. The timid child instantly jumped back when Kyu made her move.

"Come on, I'm just trying to be nice here. Mind telling me your name?"

No such luck.

"Uh... Is there anything you want from me?"

"Food." A soft voice wafted from underneat the mass of tangled brown hair.

Kyu frowned. She wasn't carrying any food with her. The raggedy child saw her reaction and began to slowly back away.

_Ah! I know! _Before she could run off, Kyu grabbed her by the ruff of the torn shirt the other girl was wearing and said, "Follow me, I know where we can find some food." The girl hissed and spat as she tried to fight her way free from the iron grip of Kyu. Quite impossible considering the training Kyu had gone through for the past week. Ignoring the feeble attempts of escape by her captive, Kyu concentrated on using her 'magic' ability to open a gateway back to the airship. It didn't take long since the memory was still fresh, but it took her another 3 minutes to open the gate wide enough for her to pass through.

_Hmm... I'm getting better at this._

The girl behind was unable to see anything that was happening since she had no knowledge of Nen. Struggle was replaced with a terrified silence as she thought she was about to be killed by this smiling monster of a child. Kyu took no notice and stepped through the portal, dragging the ball of rags behind her. To her relief, the airship was still sitting exactly where it was when she left it. Although she did take note of the dirty footprints leading inside the aircraft. She glanced back at the girl lying in a disoriented heap and grinned. Boy did she love her ability.

"Come on, do you want food or not? There should be some inside the airship."

At the mention of the word 'food', the other girl lifted her head with slightly less fear in her eyes. No further encouragement was needed for her to trail behind the taller girl.

* * *

Kyu breathed in deeply as they entered the air-conditioned rooms of the airship. Sure, she had gotten used to the unpleasant atmosphere of Ryusegai, but fresh air was always a good change. Then another smell caught her attention; the smell of two human beings other than herself and her little guest. And her nose was right. Around the corner, two older boys were scavenging through the storage compartment of the airship.

"Oi."

The boys spun around at the sound of her voice, startled by her sudden appearance. These two were dressed slightly better than the girl standing behind her, but not by much. When they saw the clothes on Kyu's shoulders they instantly dropped into a fighting stance.

_What is with the people in this city? Is there not one decent person living here?_ "Why don't we share-" The two boys charged at their seemingly weak opponent, unaware that Kyu was anything but weak.

_Oh boy..._

_I'll kill them! Lemme lemme!_

_No. I can deal with this myself._

Her opponents were a head taller than she. Not a problem since the bigger they are, the harder they fall. By now, Kyu was already far stronger than most children her age and older. Her talent in Nen made her an even more formidable opponent. Not that it was necessary for her to even use Nen to attack or defend.

_Wow, compared to Feitan, these guys are like snails and hit like flies._

_Then crush them to a pulp~_

_Shut up already. I thought I made it clear that I won't listen to any of your advice.  
_

_Aw, don't be so harsh on yourself *snicker*. _

_You can shut up as well._

Her battle instincts kicked in as their flailing punches flew in slow motion towards her. _Too slow._ She gave each one a good hard jab to the stomach and moved aside as they fell to the ground retching. A sadistic smile crept along the corners of her mouth. No wonder Feitan loved beating her up so much. It was so much fun!

_Well... it was in self-defense.__ They started it first.  
_

"Watch who you pick fights with. I only wanted a portion of the goods inside this airship. Learn to share." The boys payed no heed to her words, for they were still busy clutching their abdomens in pain. Kyu shrugged and walked into the kitchen of the airship. There were all sorts of premade meals stored inside the fridge. Before she could reach for one, a small shape knocked her aside and began shovelling everything edible inside its mouth.

Kyu laughed. "Slow down, you'll give yourself a stomach ache if you eat so fast!" Obviously she was ignored.

_I wonder how long she hasn't eaten... she looks like she's all skin and bone._

Sitting down nearby, Kyu let the starving girl eat her fill before taking the leftovers for herself. Which just showed how much she wanted her new companion to trust her; she hated eating leftovers off other people.

* * *

_Aah~ How long has it been since I've eaten a good meal? _The dark-skinned girl sighed in contentment. Her belly bulged with all the food she had consumed.

"Have you had your fill?" Kyu's voice rang out over the sound of the air conditioning.

Her guest nodded. She had seen what the Chinese girl was capable of, and she respected her fighting ability. Also, she wasn't as terrified as she was before of her pleasant host.

"Th-thank you f-for the food..."

"No problem." Kyu pulled off the elastic-band holding her hair in a ponytail and began to re-tie it. "So. Care to introduce yourself?"

"I-I'm Canary." She blushed slightly at the sound of her own name.

_Cute. She's named after a songbird. _"Interesting name. I'm Kyu. By the way, there's no need to be scared. I won't bite."

Canary highly doubted that. Whenever Kyu smiled, sharp canines glinted in the artificial light like daggers.

"Heeeyy don't give me that look," Kyu whined, "I have my dignity you know."

Awkward silence.

Canary hesitated slightly and crossed her legs. "You're not from around here are you?"

"Oh? How can you tell?"

"Your clothes. They're too new. And you smell like... green stuff." Kyu burst out laughing. _Heck, she's got a sharp nose._

_Just like you. I'm glad you kept her around._

_She'll do as a friend._

"That's 'cus I came from a forest filled with 'green stuff'."

Canary stared in awe. "I've never met someone from outside the city before. Is it nice in this 'forest' place? Why would you ever come to a place like this? There's nothing here but rubbish. It stinks."

Kyu agreed wholeheartedly. "It definitely stinks. My poor nose almost fell off the first time I took a whiff of this city. Forests are better. They're filled with delicious smells of herbs and prey and just the general air of freshness. Ah~" She closed her eyes, rocking back and forth in a trance.

Such weird behaviour fascinated Canary. _Forest people are so strange; I want to learn more!_ "Then why did you leave the forest if you loved it so much, Kyu-san?"

The other girl opened her eyes and sighed. "Stuff happens, lives change. I ended up following a man to this city, where he promised- no, he said he would come back for me. I don't know whether he will though..." Kyu felt a tinge of sadness. She didn't want to end up alone in this wasteland.

"A man?"

"Yeah, he was like, all crazy and cold when I first met him. He even tried to kill me a few times! Funny, right?" Canary sweatdropped. _You call that funny...?_ "But then he started training me and all, he even taught me how to use magic!"

"Magic?" Canary's eyes widened. Outsiders were full of surprises.

"Yup! It's like... this weird gloopy stuff everyone has. Wait... that's mana. Um... I don't really know how to explain. He never bothered giving me an explanation during our training sessions."

"Uh... how did you learn how to use magic then?"

"Oh, he just bashed me with it until I learned how to focus my mana into different places in my body. Such as my fist for attack, arms and legs for defending."

_She's crazy..._

"Oh!" Canary suddenly had an idea, "Does that mean you got us here using magic? We were in one place then we suddenly appeared here."

Kyu mentally facepalmed. Sometimes she found it hard to talk to children her own age, they were so lacking in vocabulary. _Honestly, is the word 'teleportation' that uncommon?_ "Yeah. It's my special ability. Or Specialist ability. Here watch." Her hand vanished into thin air, only to reappear a few centimetres away from Canary's nose. She poked her new friend lightly.

"That is so cool! Can you teach me too?"

"Um... I don't think so. I barely know enough about magic to use it. If you want, I can introduce you to my teacher. He might teach you." _If he doesn't kill you first..._

"Wow! So who's your teacher?" If anything, Canary was excellent at making those big puppy eyes. Kyu was no match for her big, grey, sparkling eyes.

Kyu hesitated before answering, "Feitan. His name is Feitan. Y'know, short, grumpy, Chinese."

Canary gaped as soon as she heard the name. _No way..._ _there's no way she's still alive!_

Kyu obvserved her friend's reaction. "What's wrong? Do you know him?"

"Everyone here in the Eastern End knows him! Scary stories about him are told around the campfire- just to scare us younger kids. He's the strongest person to ever come out of the Eastern End- and the most ruthless."

_Huh. Sure sounds like good 'ol grumpyguts._

_You know, if he hadn't been injured when you met him, you'd be dead._

_I do know. I also know he probably killed all those people by himself._

_He's strong. That's why I want to stay with him. If anyone can teach me how to survive in this cruel world, it's him._

_You're so naive. Do you really think he'll be willing to help you once he recovers? He won't need you anymore._

_I'll worry about it when I have the luxury to._

"Some bad guys once tried to attack him for revenge or something, and he cut them up without using a weapon. Then he tortured them out on the street where everyone could hear them screaming... I don't think I want to learn magic anymore..." Canary stared at the ground. Magic sounded like a wonderful thing; it just wasn't worth the risk.

Kyu smiled at her gently. "I'm sure you'll learn magic some other way." She glanced out the window at the dark night sky. "Wow, we've talked for a long time haven't we?" She rubbed her eyes and continued, "Maybe it's time to sleep..." Her head drooped as she started to nod off to sleep.

A hand gripped her wrist and tried to pull her up. "It's not safe here. We should go somewhere else."

Kyu groaned lightly. "It's an airship... how unsafe can it get?"

"You don't understand. Everyone in this city makes a living from stealing things."

_So that's why Feitan stole that wallet so expertly... _She mused. "Big deal. They're only after what's in the ship, not us. If they want anything they can take it."

Canary pulled at her arm harder, urgency rising in her voice. "There are mafia constantly patrolling the city. They'll catch us and sell us for money. They will be coming soon since they move mostly at night. I saw how strong you were earlier but you can't possibly beat the mafia! They have guns! "

"Ugh... fine..." Kyu got up and balanced herself using the fluffy-haired girl's shoulder. "Where do you suggest we spend the night?"

* * *

"..."

This was hardly what she had in mind. Sure, sleeping in forest, grass, even hard concrete wouldn't be too bad. But sleeping inside a measly hole in the ground surrounded by garbage? She had her limits.

"Come on! I can hear them coming!" Canary dragged her reluctant friend down into her hidey-hole not a moment too soon. Kyu heard the sound of heavy footfalls passing above them several seconds later. The forest child took a look at her surroundings and almost jumped outside. The ground was pilled with greasy blankets and dusty newspapers as bedding. She opened her mouth to complain, but noticed her friend was already fast asleep. It would have been rude to wake her up, so she tentatively lay down and tried to sleep amongst the rubbish as well.

_Ugh... I can't wait till Feitan comes back, ruthless torturer or not..._

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**It's always nice to have a friend, especially in a city like Ryusegai. Was it who you expected? I tried to be creative and incorporate some characters no one every writes about.**

**I'd just like to point out that their friendship is based upon advantages for both parties; for Kyu it's company, for Canary it's food, company and protection. Hmm... maybe mostly food. :D**


	13. Chapter 13

**********I DO NOT OWN HUNTER X HUNTER OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS. THAT BELONGS TO NO-LONGER-ON-HIATUS-TOGASHI. HOWEVER KYU DOES BELONG TO ME SO DON'T USE HER WITHOUT MY PERMISSION.**

**Oh god essays. Why does it always have to be essays?  
**

**I've been super busy typing up like 4 essays over the past three days, hence the lack of updates. I hope you enjoy this (late) chapter!**

******************************A note before you start reading, all dialogue that looks like "[This stuff inside here with the weird brackets]" is spoken in Chinese. _Italics _are for thoughts.**

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Kyu sat alone on her favourite rock in the forest, eyes half-open. She inhaled deeply; familiar scents drifting inside her nostrils. A gentle gust of wind swept the trees into a rustling choir and rained leaves around where the girl sat. Kyu held out her hand and gazed at a leaf falling lazily down the canopy- landing softly on her palm.

The young child smiled amusedly. _There is no wind in the forest, nor do leaves fall straight to the ground when there is wind. I'm dreaming._

Lucid dreams came naturally to her, without any practice or willing. Sure, Kyu enjoyed having control over her private world while her body was asleep in the real one, but really it ruined the unexpected aspect of dreaming that she loved.

She stood up and brushed the stray leaves off her clothes. Here in her dreams, everything constantly changed. The trees around her, the time of day, even the very clothes she wore. She was the only thing that stayed consistent. The only thing that couldn't move on.

_I wonder what there is to see this time... aside from the ending._

_Crunch. Crunch._ Her boots sank into the shifting leaf litter. Voices called from afar as glimpses of the past flashed in the gaps between the trees. Always there, but always out of reach from her peaceful grove. Memories she didn't want or need. And so those memories stayed as mere whisperings while she progressed on the single dirt path in the dense forest._  
_

All of a sudden she stood amidst crowds of countrymen and peasants shouting merrily in their cosy town. A single path split through the crowd for Kyu. None came into contact with the child as she progressed on her journey. She was alone in a world inhabited by hundreds of others. Not that she cared. It was her world.

Another step changed the setting completely into a junkyard of broken and discarded things. _Ah... this feeling of déjà vu. I know this place... but I can't seem to remember. Stupid dreamscape memory hindrances. What's taking so long?  
_

Then back inside the forest again. Only this time she recognised her surroundings as the path to Fugan's house. Kyu smirked. _I can't remember the simplest of things, and yet my past refuses to stay out of my mind even after I vowed to start anew. How ironic. At least here I'm not bothered by all my other selves and I can actually think clearly without interruption.  
_

She sighed, her breath puffing out in wisps of fog even though it was much too warm in the forest for the phenomenon to occur. _However... I don't want to drag this out any longer. Let's get it over with quickly. _Kyu continued at the same pace, knowing if she tried to run or speed up, gravity would bend at weird rates and her feet would have trouble touching the ground. Eventually she reached the end of the narrow dirt path and burst into bright sunshine. Only her destination wasn't as intended.

Grassy plains spread out as far as the eye could see; the sky a pure shade of azure without a cloud in sight. There weren't any animals, trees, flowers or humans either. The path vanished from under her feet the moment she stepped out into the light. Instead of feeling free, Kyu felt lost. Where was she to go now? Her feet were glued to the ground as her indecisiveness caught up with her again.

_Might as well wait it out,_ The girl thought and crossed her arms.

Eons passed before her very eyes. In her dreams blinking was no necessity. Everlasting patience was her friend in a world where time progressed and rewinded at its own pace. Finally what she waited for was drawing closer and closer. She could sense it. And then he stood right in front of her. Kyu wasn't surprised, just mildy glad the preset ending was going to play itself out like every other night.

"Hi Feitan."

As usual he didn't say anything. He just watched her impassively.

Kyu sighed again and dropped her arms to her sides. "Just get it over with."_ I wonder what it'll be this time..._

_Riiip._ Pain. Blood spurted from the wound as her arm was ripped from its socket. He literally tore her from limb to limb, leaving only her head. Kyu experienced intense pain as she was dismembered by the man. Then he just watched as the life ebbed away like the blood that flowed from each gaping wound. Despite her pain, Kyu managed to wring out a pained smile.

"Are you going to stay with me this time too?"

She received no reaction from the man. He simply watched, like he always did after he found some creative way to kill her. Kyu was... happy. She couldn't explain how or why, but she just was. But then that mellow hapiness faded away with the rest of the pain, leaving only tranquility in her empty corpse.

* * *

"Wake up."

Small hands shook her shoulders. _Strange. I'm usually kicked awake.__  
_

"Come on Kyu, it's time we find breakfast." Canary shook even harder. Kyu grumbled her complaints and feebly tried to resist the other girl's attempts at pulling her up.

A mischievious grin grew on the usually innocent child's face. _This will get her right up..._

Canary dug her fingers into the soft sides of Kyu's belly and tried to tickle her awake. No such luck. The only response from Kyu was more muffled grumblings. She wasn't ticklish at all. The dark-skinned girl was completely unperturbed by her failed attempt as a more creative idea sprouted into existence. _This will get her u__p in a drop of a hat!_

Fingers dug into the soft earth, pulling out a three month old rotting gecko-rat carcass. The stench coming from it was amazingly strong, and if Kyu's senses weren't so dull during mornings, she'd have bolted out of that hole the moment it hit her nose. The dead gecko-rat was part of Canary's emergency rations (the very last resort). _It's more useful this way. I wouldn't enjoy eating that stinky rat at all._ Canary thought as she dangled the festering rat by it's tail in front of Kyu's nose.

...

Not even a peep. Kyu was fast asleep again.

Canary threw her hands up in exasperation. _Is there no way for me to wake her up without being too rough? Hmm... _She looked at her hands thoughtfully. Mornings in the junkyard were cold and unforgiving on her fingers. The moment she exited the hole they would stiffen in the cold. _...Cold. Yes that's it! Cold fingers!_ Canary shoved her hands out of the hole and pulled them back in again; resisting the urge to huff and puff to warm her fingers.

"Heehee... are you ready Kyu?"

_Zzz..._

_3..._

_2..._

_1!_

Ten icy poles stuck into the sleeping child's sides. Kyu's eyes flew wide open and she sprang up with an unearthly shriek.

"WHAT IN THE ACTUAL *$&# #*!"

Canary burst into peals of joyful laughter at the reception of her prank while Kyu fumed in silent rage. Her eyes narrowed into a withering glare; intensity rivalling that of Feitan's famous death glare. The other child instantly paled in fear and clamped her jaws shut.

_Oh dear. You're scaring her._

_Is that ok? She's your new friend. A friend kind enough to share their 'cosy' *snicker* home with you._

_*Growl* I should rip her apart for that rude wake up call._

_Pfft. You call that rude? I certainly prefer cold fingers to a boot in the gut._

_Me too. Anyway, you're going to start resembling grumpyguts if you glare so much._

_Ugh. I guess you guys are right. I ovearracted._

_Yup. It's not like you can hold a grudge anyway._

Kyu sighed and closed her eyes, rubbing the sides of her belly to expel Canary's chilling touch. The poor girl was still watching her feafully.

In the kindest tone she could muster, Kyu apologised to the trembling girl.

"I'm sorry. I'm not a morning person. Breakfast?"

That did the trick.

* * *

_Meanwhile somewhere northwest in Ryusegai..._

* * *

Feitan tried his best listen to what Chrollo was saying. He really did. But he just had the feeling he wasn't getting the whole 'Genei Ryodan baptism' experience like everyone else. He understood the parts about him wanting them to be part of his troupe and be 'legs' or whatever, but whenever he used complex words or expressions Feitan had a total mindblank. For fuck's sake, he was Chinese! And he knew Chrollo knew that he knew that he knew he couldn't understand more than 60% of his speech, hence the entertained glint in his eyes. If it wasn't for his respect and admiration towards the younger man, Feitan would have flown into a childish tantrum hours ago. As things were he had no option but to wait it out.

His eyes narrowed, a sign of the Chinese man's concentration as he tried to listen more intently. Feitan contorted his face muscles into an expression somewhere in between pain and intense focus. Chrollo almost choked on his words as the older man's stare latched onto him like a leech. It took all of his will to maintain a straight face while giving a serious speech about their first job.

The troupe members who weren't so immersed in Chrollo's speech glanced at his face and thought in unison,

_...Constipated elephant._

* * *

"Quick! Duck!"

The two girls hid behind a large crate. Kyu snuck a peek at the market set out admist the junk. It reminded her a lot of the market in Zaban city, only here the stallkeepers glared at everyone who walked past instead of waving them over to look at their wares. Which made sense, since most of the visitors to the market were scrawny children hunting for an easy meal.

_Judging by Canary's behaviour, I'd say we're going to steal breakfast instead of buying it. Great.__  
_

_Or you could-_

_NO. Don't even bother asking._

"So what are we after?"

Canary swung her head around with a surprised look on her face. "You catch on fast."

"Meh. Forest kid intuition." Kyu grinned. "So how are we going to do this?"

Canary pointed at the fruit stall. Apples piled high over the cart, guarded by a lanky middle-aged man. "He's the easiest to steal from. I see other kids steal from him all the time."

Kyu raised an eyebrow. "And you don't?"

A blush spread across the girl's cheeks as she lowered her eyes sheepishly. "I'm not very good at stealing... I only ever get the scraps left behind by the other kids. Fruit cores if I'm lucky."

_No wonder she's so scrawny..._

"But you can use your magic to steal those apples right?" Those big grey puppy eyes again. How could Kyu resist? But if she was going to steal, she was going to do it the proper way.

"No magic. I'm going to try doing it the traditional way. Watch carefully and learn." Kyu sauntered over, mimicking the pompous ladies she'd seen in Zaban city. As she neared the apple cart, the owner of the cart rushed over to cater to her needs. He actually thought she had money. Fooling him was disappointingly easy.

_Ah well. It's mostly thanks to my good clothes._

_And that swagger. Don't forget the swagger._

_Hell yeah!_

Kyu pretended to inspect several apples, keeping up conversation with the stallkeeper to distract him each time she snuck an apple into her jacket. A feat easily executable thanks to her enchanced speed. She also noticed other children grabbing some apples each time the stallkeeper looked away. When the apple bulges started to show in the jacket, she decided she had looted enough.

"Hmph! None of these are of good quality. None at all! I'm not buying second rate apples." She huffed in a haughty tone and sauntered off again. The stall owner did _not _look pleased at having his time wasted. None the wiser he was now 20 or so apples poorer, he returned to his duty of glaring at any grubby child unfortunate enough to meet his line of sight.

The Chinese hopped around the crate, placing her quarry in front of Canary. The hungry girl wasted no time crunching into those juicy apples. She was halfway through her third apple before she remembered to ask,

"Kyu are you going to eat too?"

"Nah," The other girl replied, "I'm not too fond of apples."

Canary didn't bother asking twice. Soon all 10 of those ripe red fruits were safely down her gullet. Even the cores.

"Hah~" Canary heaved a sigh of satisfaction. Beggars can't be choosers when food was hard to come across. It took her another few minutes to realise Kyu had disappeared. Panic set in as she searched frantically for friend. She wouldn't ditch her right? Canary was still quite hungry.

"Hey, where are you going?"

The grubby girl found Kyu holding a steaming stick of fried rat in each hand. She offered one to her relieved companion and laughed.

"You thought I abandoned you didn't you? Hahaha~"

"It's not funny Kyu!"

"Hell yes it is. I know you just keep me around for the free food. Everyone does." Kyu winked.

"Huuk." Canary hadn't expected herself to found out so quickly. _She'll hate me for using her... Will she hurt me? _She hung her head down in guilt.

Instead of giving her a beating or a lecture, Kyu simply patted her tangled mass of her hair and nommed on own rat-kebab.

Canary looked up in confusion. "Aren't you mad at me for relying on you?"

Kyu shrugged. "I don't care. I'm pretty used to being used by now. *Cough* Feitan *cough*." Sometimes swallowing your pride and letting others have their way was the best course of action to gaining one's trust. "Plus, friends should help each other and give free favours."

"Oh..."

Kyu threw away her skewer. "Still hungry? Well I am. Let's go steal some more food~!"

"Y-Yes!"

* * *

A pair of emotionless eyes watched the busy streets below from the roof of a building, picking out one particular child. He watched her steal effortlessly for the next hour or so before making a decision.

_This one will do._

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**And so ends another chapter. Can you guess who it is on that building?  
**


	14. Chapter 14

**********I DO NOT OWN HUNTER X HUNTER OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS. THAT BELONGS TO NO-LONGER-ON-HIATUS-TOGASHI. HOWEVER KYU DOES BELONG TO ME SO DON'T USE HER WITHOUT MY PERMISSION.**

**Please no more essays, I feel like crying. Essays are just yuck. Ew. Gross. I hate those things so much...  
**

**Hence the late update. If you're going to hate, hate on the essays.**

******************************A note before you start reading, all dialogue that looks like "[This stuff inside here with the weird brackets]" is spoken in Chinese. _Italics _are for thoughts.**

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For the next five days, Kyu and Canary became partners in crime in the busy markets of Rusegai. Slowly but surely, Canary picked up the older girl's techniques for stealing food. By the end of the week they were having competitions to see who could steal more in a certain amount of time. Blank eyes observed their every move from the moment they left Canary's hidey-hole every morning till they returned to sleep.

On the sunrise marking Kyu's full week spent in Ryusegai; the observer thought:

_It's time. I have confirmed that she is of high calibre, at least good enough for the job prospects I have in mind._

* * *

_*Yawn* _"Mornin' Canary." Now it was Kyu's turn to wake up her friend. "Wakey wakey sleepyhead."

"Mmm... KYAAAA!"

Snickers echoed around the small space. The Chinese child finally returned the favour from the first morning. Icy fingers, mission success!

"Not nice..." *grumble grumble* Canary climbed out of the hole first, then turned around to pull the other girl out behind her. They stretched in the dim light like yin and yang, curling into graceful positions to ease out their muscles for a long day of stealing. By now, Kyu grew to enjoy street life with her new companion. It was almost enough to take her mind off Feitan. Almost. Her dreams don't let her forget anything.

Kyu rubbed her nose to get her sense of smell working, then said, "So what are we going to do today? Maybe we should finally give stealing from the mafia a go. You've improved quite a lot Canary, I reckon we should start considering some bigger fish."

Canary wasn't so sure. "You're heaps strong Kyu, but I'm still slow compared to you. What if they catch me? I'll die!"

"Haha~ don't worry, I'll save you if need be."

"Is that so?"

Kyu whirled around in alarm. She grabbed Canary's wrist and jumped back several metres, dragging the surprised girl with her.

"Who the heck are you?" The pale girl snarled at the intruder. Sharp canines glinted like daggers as she bared her teeth and growled like an animal, warding off the man. He wore a a navy jacket over a (surprisingly) clean green shirt and beige pants. He towered over her, face devoid of emotion and framed with short black hair.

"My name is Illumi. I have a job proposal for you."

"Oh really?" She set a firm glare on him while she planned an escape route. Thoughts raced through her mind.

_Who the heck is this guy? I have no memory of ever crossing paths with him._

_He's not from Ryusegai... his clothes are too clean._

_Illumi ay? I wonder if he's strong... kekeke..._

_Them creepy blank eyes... I don't trust this guy._

_How the hell did he sneak up on you anyway? He smells like... shampoo?_

_Must be with the mafia._

Kyu tensed as he approached her step by step. "Would you like to leave this junkyard? Food, shelter and clothes will be provided for you if you come with me."

Canary listened to the exchange and shot a glance at Kyu. _Will she go with him? And leave me alone?_

Kyu caught her reaction and nudged her reassuringly. She knew exactly what her friend thought. The girl turned her attention back to Illumi, saying, "And what job would offer such opportunities?"

"You will be trained to serve the Zoldyck family as a butler for the rest of your life." Illumi extended his hand, awaiting her reply.

_Tempting... but not the sort of job I'm looking for._

_You should accept his offer. Feitan might never come back, and you'll be stuck in this trash heap forever. Is that what you want?_

_What I want, huh..._

If this was about what she wanted, then she would not hesitate. "I must decline your kind offer. There is someone I must wait for here in this city."

"The offer is not optional." He reached out to grab her but Kyu moved out of the way quickly, still holding Canary, and bolted towards the market district.

"It is now! Screw off and leave me alone!" Kyu hollered over the sound of the wind rushing past her ears. Illumi, left standing in the dust, murmured to no one in particular.

"Ah. She will need some strict discipline in her training."

* * *

_Fweet._ Blood splattered onto posh wallpaper.

"Tsk." Feitan kicked a disembodied head away, wiping his nails on the clothing of another corpse. He looked at Chrollo for further instructions.

"We're done here. Disperse."

Feitan almost breathed a sigh of relief. Despite his joy at being able to question (*cough* torture *cough*) people for the newly formed Phantom Troupe, there was anxiety nagging deep down inside him. Feitan was the first one to flee from the crime scene. _Time to find the brat, _he thought.

The other troupe members watched with raised eyebrows, then made their own exits.

* * *

Kyu and Canary found themselves playing an endless game of cat and mouse, where they were always the mice. Running from Illumi was no easy task, let alone losing him. Kyu's ability saved her from his grasp every time he rounded them into a dead-end, where she would miraculously 'disappear' and shake off the assassin. And the thought of using Gyo to see how the two girls vanished around the corner never crossed Illumi's mind. To him, this was only a game to put off the inevitable so he didn't use his full speed. Therefore it took Illumi almost three hours to realise something was wrong.

_How are they getting away so suddenly every time I'm about to catch them? _Pondered the assassin. _Next time I'll observe carefully._

Indeed he did. The moment the two children darted around a dumpster, he surged forward only to see them dissolve into thin air. Illumi skidded to a halt, face still blank and emotionless as ever. Now did he realise one of the children must have a Nen ability to allow them to change locations in the blink of an eye. Which only made them even more desirable as servants of the Zoldyck household.

"No matter. I will find them again."

* * *

_I will find that brat. _But how? Feitan had no idea where she was, nor did he have any means of contact. He groaned inwardly. _I should have thought this through earlier... Why didn't I steal two phones? How am I supposed to find that piece of shit now?_

The Chinese man rushed in back to where the airship was, only to find it stripped of every valuable good and metal. Well, that was expected. Feitan circled the clearing in which they landed a week ago, searching for any hint that would point in the direction of the girl's whereabouts.

* * *

_SHITSHITSHITSHITSHITSHIT._

Kyu glowered at Illumi tensed and ready to fight while Canary tried her best to stay out of her way. Illumi had closed the gap between them in seconds, leaving Kyu no room to open a gateway and pass through unfollowed. She had no choice but to back away slowly into the alley.

"Which one of you can use that ability?"

Kyu narrowed her eyes. _Good. He doesn't know I'm the one with the magic ability._

"Ability?" _The best course of action right now is to play dumb._

A hand clamped around Kyu's wrist like a viper. "So it's you." Struggle as she might, she could not break free of his cold iron grip.

_How did he figure it out?_

_Kill the damned bastard!  
_

_Hehe... I guess it's my time to shine~_

* * *

Feitan could only say he was glad when he felt that familiar wave of aura explode not too far away; two main reasons being:

1. The brat was nearby and alive.

2. She was far enough to ensure he was not going to be the victim of one of those crazy fits. Not again.

_I wonder who will have their guts painted over the walls? _Feitan rushed over to the source of the aura, eager to discover the unfortunate wretch that had fallen victim to Kyu's psychotic split personality.

* * *

A demonic grin lit up the child's face, morphing her into a complete monster. Her aura adapted to the change in control by shifting into the shape of a huge beast with multiple tails and huge claws around the small body of the girl. Bloodlust flooded the alley like a tsunami and knocked Canary unconscious. Which was probably for the best, since Crazy-Kyu didn't give two fucks about friend or foe. Illumi instantly jumped back and distanced himself with the monstrosity that stood before him.

With a stare that rivalled Illumi's in terms of creepiness, Kyu dared him to attack. "Heehee~"

_**You've hardly let me out you know. I've been soooo bo~red. Kekeke...**_

_For good reason too. I wouldn't have let you take control if I weren't in immediate danger. And that guy is dangerous, so take him out will you?  
_

_Dude you're crazy! You know **that** one won't stop until it's had its 'fun'._

**_Hehe... Too late to regret your decision~_**

_Just don't kill Canary, ok?  
_

**_Fufufu..._**

_..._

The next action Kyu took could only be described as a pounce. And pounce she did, purple aura claws outstretched, tails flapping like streamers, mad light dancing in her eyes. All the while giggling like a madma- ahem- madwoman. The ground cracked as she landed on the spot where Illumi stood mere seconds ago. The beast-child's eyes darted around wildly like a rabid animal, searching for her prey. When she found no opponent after minutes of searching, the grin dropped off her face and she let out a low moan of disappointment. Not only had her prey escaped, but it escaped with her alternative source of entertainment too. Canary was nowhere to be found. The purple aura surrounding her faded away along with the psycho side of Kyu.

_Finally. Back in the driver's seat._ The girl sighed in relief as her split personality's disappointment churned in her chest. And it wasn't the only one to be disappointed.

"[Brat. You let him get away.]"

"[FEITAN!]"

Under normal circumstances one would expect a 'Missed you too' or at least a 'I'm back' from someone reunited with their travel companion. Feitan simply offered a not-so-menacing glare in replacement and headed off.

Kyu wasted no time and caught up to the brisk pace of the Chinese man.

* * *

Meanwhile, Illumi was carrying the dark-skinned girl like a sack of rice over his shoulder. Not the prize he had intended for, but good enough.

_That other child is too unstable to be taken in as a butler. This one will suffice. _He sniffed the air lightly.

_But first... a bath._

* * *

"[Ne, Feitan~]"

_Here we go. Typical brat behaviour._

"[Feitan~]"

_Maybe she'll learn to shut up if I ignore her enough._

"[Hey~]"

_Patience is a virtue._

"[Hey Fei~tan]"

Twitch.

"[Hey~]"

A vein popped up on the man's forehead.

"[I know you can hear me Feitan.]"

Shoulders rising higher and higher, a clear sign of agitation.

"[Come on, Feitan, answer me~]"

_Who the fuck am I kidding, to hell with patience._ "[Will you shut the hell up brat?]" Feitan's normally quiet voice was laced with venom.

"[But it's been forever since I've talked to you!]"

"[One week.]"

"[-Translates to forever in my dictionary.]"

Feitan began to question whether it was wise of him to return. The girl's usefulness barely outweighed how annoying she was. Maybe it would be a better idea to just slit her throat and -hey presto! Problem solved.

_So very, very tempting..._

"[No need to get mad Feitan, I was only kidding.]"

"[I don't waste time 'getting mad' at worthless fools like you.]"

"[I'm pretty sure you do, I see those pensive and brooding shoulders.]"

Feitan groaned. _Talking to this brat is like talking to a brick wall, only this brick wall throws bricks in your face every now and then instead of being a good brick wall and getting smashed to pieces. Like how I would normally treat brick walls. She's worse than that talkative samurai I met today...  
_

"[So did you take care of your 'business'?]"

"[...Yes.]"

"[What were you doing for the past week?]"

A large mansion sprang into mind. Flashes of corpses, nails ripped from fingers, with no shortage of blood and gore reminded him of the past week spent on the first official Phantom Troupe job. Well, it was as official as underground assassination dealings went...

"[None of your concern.]"

"[Aw Feitan, tell me~]"

Enough was enough. Perhaps it was time the cat died from curiosity.

"[Fei-]" _BAM._ Kyu's reflexes barely saved her from fatality. "[Rude.]"

The raven-haired man rushed at her, killing intent as clear as day. Kyu responded by slipping backwards into a portal, reappearing several metres away. "[So where are we heading to next?]"

"[There is no 'we', brat.]" He hissed and tried to stab her with his pointed nails. The girl playfully teleported from place to place, completely in control of her power. Feitan was still so achingly slow compared to his healthy self; that much he knew. He also knew there was no way he could even get close to the girl if she didn't want him to. _If she weren't so annoying, I would actually be impressed with her rate of improvement.  
_

"[Well... I suppose it doesn't matter.]" She stopped using her power and stood still, putting all her faith in the man to not brutally murder her. "[I'm fine with following in your footsteps.]"

Feitan halted in his tracks. That smile... a wry smile; blending sorrow, joy and the pain of loss together. That smile was her answer to life and everything it threw at her. The child's face, shadowed by the setting sun, wore an expression decades too old for the rest of her body. And it was that smile that disrupted the cold-hearted man from his objective. _Following in my footsteps... How amusing, in so many ways. Fine. I could use an assistant to keep me entertained.  
_

"[We're leaving.]"

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**I might be doing several timeskips, because 8 years might be a bit too much to write about. **


	15. Chapter 15

**********I DO NOT OWN HUNTER X HUNTER OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS. THAT BELONGS TO NO-LONGER-ON-HIATUS-TOGASHI. HOWEVER KYU DOES BELONG TO ME SO DON'T USE HER WITHOUT MY PERMISSION.**

**Timeskip! Quick update to make up for the late chapter 14. Also, I might not be updating much for the next two weeks because I have some tests to study for. Sorry :c  
**

**Wow, this is the longest chapter by far. And I managed to type it all up in one day. .**

******************************A note before you start reading, all dialogue that looks like "[This stuff inside here with the weird brackets]" is spoken in Chinese. _Italics _are for thoughts.**

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Heavens Arena, the world's most popular battle site, towering 1000 metres above the rest of the city in all of its shining white glory. A battlefield where only the best fighters in the world could hope to stand a chance in the topmost floors, fighting for money, fame and their lives. A place where Kyu was about to spend the next week relieving her boredom. She wasn't particularly pleased at the fact her companion/mentor/friend still refused to tell her exactly where and what he did his so-called 'business', it remained a mystery to her even after a whole two years of travelling with the man. Every time he went on one of his 'business' trips, Feitan would leave Kyu to her own devices until he notified her via email or a call. Through phones that he 'acquired' upon leaving Ryusegai a little less than 2 years ago. Which was more than enough reason for the girl to be miffed.

_I can't believe he still doesn't trust me after all this time... all I ever did was poison him the first time we met. And not once after! I even spent the effort to read up on botany, zoology and such to make sure that incident won't repeat itself._

_Nah, he's just shy._

_..._

Kyu sighed deeply. Even after two full years of recovery the voices didn't go away. Stupid brain damage.

_How rude.  
_

_Aw, that's so mean. We're not brain damage, we're _products_ of brain damage. Get it right dumbass._

Well. At least she'd never need to worry about having no one to talk to in spare time. The girl looked at the brochure in hand. According to the brochure, Heaven's Arena was a new establishment, barely a decade old. Although Kyu highly doubted there would be anyone half as strong as Feitan in the Arena, it was still worth a shot for the money. First things first.

The electric doors slid open with a soft hiss. _Ah~ Air conditioning. Woah. _Along the lobby snaked a long line of muscle men, all lining up to the registration window. Kyu could smell testosterone over some heavy air fresheners, and her nose did not like it. Bearable, but not pleasant.

"Ugh..." The girl groaned in disgust. _I'll come back later... I wonder if there are any icecream stalls in this city? I'd love some gelato._

_This is a city, dumbshit. How could there not be any icecream stalls?  
_

_Kekeke~ Dumbass~_

_Shut up._

* * *

Five minutes later, Kyu was walking around a food market, absent-mindedly pickpocketing passerbys for icecream money. Stealing became a second nature to the child, as did 'magic'. Kyu was now extremely efficient at both stealing and controlling her 'mana'. Her ability had improved to the point where she could open a portal with next to no effort. Now she focused on opening more than one of her 'gateways' at any given time, but it was significantly harder than just one. Opening one portal required her to focus on two separate locations, which meant that two portals would need concentration on four locations. Not to mention the 'mana' expension increased twofold with the number of active portals.

Kyu sighed again. _And that's not even the worse thing about my ability... Oh well. It's not like I need it on a day-to-day basis. I can rely on speed alone when it comes to stealing. _

A grand gelato parlour stretched across half of the food court. Parents, children and couples alike took their time picking flavours while the employees worked at a casual pace, chatting to their customers. This was a place filled with hapiness and most importantly- icecream.

One of the male employees noticed Kyu gawking at the huge variety of gelato before her. "Would you like some icecream little girl? You should ask your mummy for some money if you do."

"..." Boy did she hate that patronising attitude she got from adults. They treated anyone under the age of 12 like innocent little idiots who couldn't do anything without a responsible adult. _Well... at least he's being nice._

"I'll have two scoops of gelato, one green tea and one pistachio, waffle cone, no toppings thanks." Kyu handed him 6400 Jenny, not bothering to smile. The man stared at her until she said, "Well? Are you going to let me buy some 'icecream' or do I need to call an adult over to help me buy one?". He jumped before rushing off to carry out her order. Kyu smirked slightly at his surprise. _Kids aren't as stupid as you think, dumbass. Think carefully before treating someone like a retard. _

_Weeeelll... you do have brain damage..._

_Do you ever get tired of being told to shut up?_

_Do you ever get tired of telling yourself to shut up?_

_Shut up._

_Heh._

"Mmm..." You couldn't go wrong with icecream. Delicious, creamy, and almost scentless. The low temperature of the icecream stopped the aromatic compounds from volatising and reaching her nose. Just something interesting she'd once read in a chemistry textbook. She sat down in a quiet corner of food court and happily licked at her two favourite flavours of icecream. _This is sooo good. Maybe I should get some for grumpyguts when he comes back. I don't think he likes gelato though... that weirdo. Meh, I'll just enjoy it myself.  
_

By the time she'd finished crunching through the waffle cone it was 1 o'clock. _Perfect. Everyone will be at lunch which means I can sign up without too much hassle. _Kyu brushed off the crumbs littered across her black jacket (also stolen) and slowly headed back to the Heaven's Arena.

"I'd like to register for a fight." Kyu disregarded the weird look from the receptionist. She'd gotten used to it when strangers underestimated her thanks to her age.

"Please fill out this form." Luckily the pink-haired receptionist didn't discriminate too much and handed her a form to fill out. _Name, age, blah blah blah. Criminal records? Pfft, like anyone would put their criminal records on a piece of paper. ...Nationality? Uh..._

_Just put down Ryusegai. Less trouble._

_It'd also explain your lack of a surname._

_Good idea._

"Done." The girl slid the form back across the wooden counter her eyes barely came above. She had to tip-toe to sign the sheet of paper. The receptionist twitched upon seeing her messily scrawled handwriting and assigned the girl with a number for her upcoming battles. Kyu walked through a set of double doors into a large hall filled with competitors and spectators watching people fighting in many wooden arenas. She had never seen so many people fighting in one place before, let alone so many people spectating and even cheering for the fighters. It reminded her a lot of the Roman Colosseum she'd seen in textbooks and brochures.

She walked to the front row and sat down to wonder at the numerous competitors bashing each other up. It wasn't long before she fell bored watching pathetically weak fighters scrabble at each other for a chance at progressing to the next level. _Kids in Ryusegai could beat these guys with ease... they're all so weak..._

"Number 945, Number 891, please go to arena C." _Number 945... that's me! Finally! _Kyu bounded over the boundary and onto the arena. Her opponent #891 was a tall, well built wrestler with tattoos running down his right arm.

"You'd better run while you can, kiddo. I don't like hitting young girls." Amazingly enough, the man was genuinely concerned for her safety. Not that it was needed.

"That's good then. I'll handle the hitting for you." A fast jab in the abdomen sent the wrestler hurtling off the stage, creating a small crater in the stone wall.

An uproar rose from the crowds watching her match. The judge handed her a ticket. "Number 945, proceed to floor 70."

"Thanks." _How generous. But then again, everyone here is so weak._

_Aw~ At this rate I won't get to have any fu~un._

_You say that like it's a bad thing._

_Ooooohh BURN._

* * *

The next hundred or so floors passed without any trouble. Kyu was far stronger than everyone in the low hundreds, not surprising considering the sort of training she'd been through. Hell would be a better way to put it. Whenever anyone mentioned the word 'training', the poor girl would shudder slightly at the memories of her hardship. Feitan was not a nice trainer to have. In his dictionary, training basically meant physical torture. Surviving two years of his 'training' had been no easy task.

By the time she'd reached floor 170, a full week had flown by. Kyu began to wonder if Feitan had gotten himself killed or something. She eyed her phone.

_I want to call him to make sure he's alive, but he asked me not to when he went on 'business'._

_'Asked'? You mean threatened to slice off your fingers one by one._

_It's so tempting... just one button..._

_Just let _that_ one take over when he tortures you. Like usual._

During those strenuous torture sessions, Kyu developed another split personality. This time it was more controllable and entirely predictable, unlike her other one. It was completely unaffected by pain and felt no emotion, which lead Kyu to believe this personality stemmed from the damaged part of her brain. She would still have the memories of what happened afterwards, but memories weren't as painful as feeling your bones being snapped on the spot.

_Hmm... let's do it then!_

_Dooot._ _Dooot_. Someone picked up on the other end. Kyu could barely hear anything over the screaming in the background. "[What?]" A familiar raspy voice demanded.

"['Sup Feitan. That's some nice torturing you've got going there.]"

"[I have yet to find anyone who appreciates torture as much as you and I. And you will once I return to cut off your fingers like I warned you.]"

_Crap. He remembered. _"[Ha...hahah... I love it when you joke around like that, Feitan. You have a great sense of humor you know?]"

"[I don't joke.]" Oh dear. Kyu could tell she was in deep trouble. That was until she heard a random voice yelling in the background.

"OI FEITAN! TONE DOWN THE SCREAMING WILL YOU? DANCHOU IS GETTING A HEADACHE!"

_Huh? Who's that?_

The screaming stopped immediately. _Wow. He actually listened. Looks like he really respects this 'Danchou' person. _Now she heard heavy footsteps.

"Hey, Fei, who are you talking to?"

"...No one."

Then he abruptly hung up on her. Kyu looked grimly at her phone. She was not prepared to risk any other body parts to sate her curiousity. _I suppose he'll tell me later..._ It was very late, and she was tired.

Kyu collapsed on the bed, hugging the soft blankets of the nice clean bed. She loved beds almost as much as she loved icecreams. What could she say? She was a lazy person when given the chance. But also because she had a hard time dreaming on anything that wasn't a bed. And she liked her dreams no matter how gruesome they became.

The girl tilted her head to watch the light show in the city below. Artificial lights looked as good as stars from this high up in the tower, and were far easier to see with all the light pollution. She heaved another sigh. This little holiday was getting incredibly boring and uneventful. Kyu dared to believe that training with Feitan was more fun than having to fight with conceited men in tight underwear. At least she was allowed to watch his handiwork when he had his fun mutilating innocent passerbys in dark alleys; even participate on some occasions.

_I'm sadistic and I know it. _She smirked. There was no point in denying it. _Kinda inevitable when you're stuck around a sadistic guy 24/7. _

_Technically you can leave anytime you want-_

_Don't want to hear it._

_Say, I feel hungry. Dinner?_

_Nah. Too lazy to cook._

_We could always go and buy some food._

_Good idea. The cafeteria is down on floor 150._

* * *

_Ding. _"Floor 150." _Oh my god finally..._

Kyu hated elevators with all her heart. She hated the feeling in her gut when it ascended or descended. She hated when it jerked occasionally, causing her hand to involuntarily crush the handle she always clutched when she rode on one of these steel death traps. This was the one challenge she faced in Heavens Arena. Elevators. Up until now, she had always scaled buildings on foot or used her ability to shift several floors up.

"Thank you." Kyu always took her time to thank anyone who served her, be it at shops or on transport. Manners got you far in life wherever you went in the world. That much she had learned in the past two years of travelling. The elevator lady smiled back at the small girl as she walked out of the elevator. She remembered the girl from when she first used the elevator since rarely anyone showed any gratitude to gaudily dressed women operating elevators. She also noticed how Kyu's voice shook every time she thanked her, as well a lack of balance that accompanied her leave.

While Kyu tried to grapple the wall and steady herself, she bumped into something soft and white. Her feet tangled with the soft thing in their jelly-like state; tripping the girl in the most ungracious way.

"Hey! Watch it!" it cried as she toppled forwards, bringing down the small squirming bundle along with her. "Oof!"

She felt two small hands rudely shove her aside. "Watch where you're walking, drunkard!"

"Sorry." Kyu quickly recovered and stood up, offering a hand to the stranger. She used this chance to take a good look at the kid she had bumped into. His white fluffy hair puffed up like an indignant cat as the flustered boy glared at her. He wore a greenish hoodie and loose grey pants. For someone shorter than her, he was pretty brave to be making a ruckus.

"What do you mean, 'sorry'?! You knocked me over and you expect me to forgive you with a simple apology?"

"...What do you want me to do then?"

"Like I would know!"

Kyu rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "How about I treat you to dinner?"

"No." The young boy shook his head.

"No?"

"Not good enough."

The girl found herself sighing for the fourth time today. "I'll buy you whatever you want from the cafeteria... happy?"

The pout on his face instantly turned into a cheeky grin. "No going back on your offer!"

* * *

Kyu sat down with a bowl of noodles, watching as the boy lugged a giant pile of chocolate onto the table. The girl sweatdropped at the sight of him munching through the sweets box by box, barely pausing between each bite. He'd bought out all the chocolate goods in the cafeteria with half of her winnings. Just watching him eat so much chocolate was making her queasy.

"Slow down... You're going to get sick if you eat so much."

He paused momentarily to answer through a mouthful of chocolate. "No I won't. I'm pretty much immunised against food poisoning."

"That's not what I meant..."

The boy shrugged and continued to chug the sweet brown substance down his throat.

"I'm Kyu by the way."

"Killua. Your name is weird."

Kyu laughed. "I could say the same for you. Who names their kid with the word 'kill'?"

"Oh yeah? Who names their kid with a number?" Killua shot right back.

"Actually I named myself."

"That's even worse."

Kyu just shrugged and smiled. "Have it your way." Seeing that Killua had lost interest in conversation, she went to eat her noodles. By the time she finished, the boy had impressively managed to devour the entire pile of snacks. _Wow... Just how did he fit all of that into his stomach?  
_

"How old are you?"

"Hm? I'm eight."

"Shame. I'm six. I was hoping you'd be the same age."

"Heh. Looking for a friend?"

"Yeah."

"I never imagined someone would be younger than me in this tower. You must have gone through some pretty intense training, huh?"

"You could say that..." Killua averted his eyes to a trashcan.

_He's hiding something... Or he doesn't like talking about his past. Like me._

"What brings you to Heavens Arena? Are you here out of boredom? I am."

"Training."

Flinch. "Ah." The girl quickly changed the subject. "Which floor are you on?"

"...Which are you on?"

"Haha- no need to be so suspicious. I'm just curious. I'm on floor 170 right now. My next fight is scheduled sometime tomorrow."

"Oh." Killua checked his ticket. "My fight's on tomorrow too. Same floor."

"Cool. Do you want to head to the arena together? I'll come get you tomorrow morning if you tell me your room number."

"No thanks. I'd rather not get too friendly with some weird girl." The boy pushed his chair back, ready to leave. "It was nice meeting you though. Seeya."

Kyu smiled. She didn't take offense easily. "Ah well. See you tomorrow, and good luck."

She waited a few more minutes before heading back to her own room. What an interesting encounter... she was sure that boy wasn't a normal child. In the split second she bumped into him, Kyu had felt his killing intent. The fact that he'd made it up this far in the tower showed how strong he was.

_I'll be seeing him again. Sooner or later. Maybe even as my opponent tomorrow. After all, there are only three battles set on floor 170 tomorrow. But for now, a good night's rest._

Kyu opened the door to her room and slipped into the dark room, eyes adjusting instantly. She sniffed the air lightly before calling out,

"I wasn't aware I had a roommate."

She waited a few seconds. A white puff of hair slunk out from inside the closet. "How did you know?"

The Chinese girl laughed. "Isn't that what I should be asking? Did you stalk me earlier?"

Even in the darkness she could see him flush a bright shade of scarlet. "Of course not! I just saw your room number on your keys when took your ticket out to buy food. So how did you know I was here?"

"By scent. Try not to sneak into someone else's room after eating a ton of chocolate, the aroma is pretty obvious. Why are you sneaking into my room anyway? Unless you're doing some thief or assassin training, I really hope you have a good reason for being in here."

"Uh..."

Kyu rubbed her eyes. "Whatever. I'm going to bed. Lock the door on your way out please." Without another word she slid past the surprised boy and into the bed, pulling the covers over her shoulders in one swift motion.

"You're... not mad?"

Kyu looked at with one eye. "No. Why would I be? You haven't done anything bad. Are you leaving or are you going to sleep in my room tonight? I prefer sleeping alone, but I suppose one extra wouldn't hurt."

That blush again. "I'm leaving!" The door slammed shut with a bang.

Smiling to herself, Kyu thought as she fell asleep,

_He's so cute compared to Feitan..._

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**I just couldn't resist writing about Killua. Especially his younger self. So far, I haven't read any fanfics involving Killua in the Heavens Arena so I thought I might give it a go. Just to clear out any confusion, Kyu is approximately twice as strong as Gon in the Heavens Arena Arc. How? Go ask Feitan. The stuff he made her go through...**


	16. Chapter 16

**********I DO NOT OWN HUNTER X HUNTER OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS. THAT BELONGS TO NO-LONGER-ON-HIATUS-TOGASHI. HOWEVER KYU DOES BELONG TO ME SO DON'T USE HER WITHOUT MY PERMISSION.**

**Please remember that this is 6 years before Gon goes to the Heavens Arena for the first time, so the facilities there will be a little different. For one there won't be an announcer yelling out every move the fighters take, especially since this is only the 170th floor. I've changed the stage so there will only be cameras capturing the fight and a referee giving out points. Just wanted to clear that up before anyone started rubbing it on my nose. .  
**

******************************A note before you start reading, all dialogue that looks like "[This stuff inside here with the weird brackets]" is spoken in Chinese. _Italics _are for thoughts.**

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_7:00AM_

_*Beep* "Contestant Kyu, please head to the arena. Your match is scheduled to start in an hour." _The television activated itself into speaker mode. If it had video feed, the person sitting on the other side would have seen a mass of fluffy black hair tangled around the bedsheets like a fish in a net.

"Mmm... whuu?" Kyu rolled over the edge of the bed and landed with a heavy thud. She woke up just enough to mumble, "Just 5 more minutes Feitan... zzz..." before falling back to sleep. She really was hopeless when it came to waking up in the mornings. The Chinese girl simply hated getting up before 8am.

* * *

55 minutes later, the sun was shining bright into the Heavens Arena tower, coating Kyu's upturned butt in warm yellow. Needless to say, she was still fast asleep.

_*Beep* "CONTESTANT KYU. YOUR MATCH STARTS IN 5 MINUTES."_ It sounded like the guy on the end of the microphone was shouting with all his strength. "IF YOU DON'T HURRY UP, YOUR MATCH WILL BE COUNTED AS A FORFEIT!"

"Nnnmmm..." Kyu stretched with hands and feet on the floor in a cat-like position before looking around groggily. *Yawn* "Ugh... why couldn't they have scheduled my battle later in the day... Now where is that hairbrush? Ah screw it." She opened a portal and stepped into the arena entrance, unnoticed by all the spectators. She was still dressed in the crumpled long-sleeved half-shit and sports pants she had worn to sleep, both of which were black. Not that she had much choice. Kyu only had one set of clothes. She wasn't bothered enough to carry around extra clothes. Hair sticking in all directions like an asian afro, the girl hopped onto the arena where her white-haired opponent stood waiting.

Killua took one look at that dazed expression framed by a huge mane of coarse black hair and burst into laughter. "Rough night?" He choked between gasps of air.

"Huh?" At 7:56 in the morning, Kyu wasn't the sharpest knife in the drawer. She could barely see anything with her blurry eyes; the bright lights just made things harder.

When Killua finally calmed down enough to look at his opponent in the face without splitting his sides, the referee waved for them to start the match. As soon as the match commenced, Killua rushed forward, landed a hard punch in her stomach, flipped in the air to chop at her neck, then retreated as quickly as he had attacked. Poor Kyu went sprawling across the stage and came to a halt in an unmoving heap.

"Clean hit, critical and down! Contestant Killua is in the lead by 4 points!"

The spectators went wild with cheers. The younger boy managed to score 4 points in the blink of an eye while his opponent couldn't even react fast enough to defend herself.

"Hmph. And I thought you were strong." Killua stuck his hands into his pockets and watched as the referee checked on the other child.

"Are you still able to fight?"

Black eyes gleamed back at him in reply. The man took several steps back to give the girl some space to get up. There wasn't a single injury on Kyu's body as she grinned pleasantly at her opponent.

"Oh boy, that was the perfect wake-up call. Better than a bucket of icy water."

Killua sniffed at her confidence. "I was almost disappointed at how easy it was to take you down. What are you going to do now? You're four points behind."

"Four points are nothing. Speaking of which, you're not half bad. That chop to the neck hurt."

"Pfft. It was supposed to knock you out."

"Heh. Good luck with that."

This time Kyu was ready when Killua unleashed his physical assult upon her. Now it was her turn to be disappointed. Even though he mere two years younger, the boy was incredibly slow compared to her. Every kick, punch and jab he threw at her was parried and returned with twice the speed. Kyu wasn't even trying, and yet the young Zoldyck was already at his limit. Clicking her tongue in annoyance, she ducked low to sweep his feet off the ground. Killua jumped to avoid the kick, countering with a spinning kick of his own.

_Damn. To think someone capable of landing some hits on me can't even catch up to 5% of my max speed._

_Don't get so cocky, everyone on this level is just weak. If you ever get arrogant, just ask Feitan to spar with you. _

_Oh hell no. I prefer my limbs attached to my torso._

_Ah~_

_Why are you sighing?_

_I won't get a turn at all... He can't even defeat our weakest self._

_Oi. Who are you calling weak?_

"Had enough yet shorty?" Kyu blocked with her right arm while swinging a slow left hook.

Killua grunted at the impact of the hit on his shoulder before bouncing out of her range. "Don't be an asshole, you're only a little bit taller!"

"Tsk tsk, language."

The referee waved his arms again. "Clean hit by contestant Kyu! 1-4!"

What happened next took the girl completely by surprise.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing?"

Killua had walked right off the stage and was now headed to the arena exit. The crowds were booing like crazy.

Shoulder cradled in one hand, Killua ignored the indignant girl and walked out of the double doors.

"Since contestant Killua has forfeited, contestant Kyu wins by default!" _Oh boy. _The crowds weren't taking Killua's sudden forfeit well. Even the referee looked miffed by her easy victory. After all, the boy had been in the lead in terms of points.

Kyu brushed past the referee and ran out of the arena in hot pursuit. "Oi! Come back here!"

Killua looked back lazily. "What."

"Why did you surrender so quickly?"

Now it was Killua's turn to sigh. "I'm not going to fight anyone stronger than me. Especially not someone several times stronger. There's no chance for me to win."

"So?" The girl hissed, "It's not like this is a fight where you can get killed. Heck, I was just trying to have fun!"

He shrugged in reply. "It's how I was taught to fight."

Kyu paused to consider what he said. _I suppose it does make sense... in life, an encounter with a stronger adversary provides no guarantee of your survival._

"And who exactly taught you that?"

"My brother."

"He's a wise man. Care for a snack before you drop back to floor 1?"

"...You're paying."

"Sure."

* * *

The two sat at a glass top table slurping their slushies.

"I'm surprised you didn't buy any chocolate. I thought you like that stuff."

Killua blushed and mumbled something unintelligible into his hand. Something that sounded curiously similar to 'they're all sold out'. Kyu was fairly certain that was exactly what he said so she didn't enquire any further. However, she had other queries to be satisfied.

"So..."

"So?"

Kyu allowed herself some time to put together a tactful question. "So... where'd you learn those fighting skills? They don't resemble any martial art I've seen or read about. You don't need to tell me if you don't want to."

"Hmph." The boy gave her a 'not impressed' stare. "People only ever say that line when they want to know the answer. It's pretty much like saying 'I'm a huge asshole trying to be sensitive about your affairs but I don't really care so just give me the answer'."

There was no denying it. She liked this kid. "True. So you'll tell me then?"

"..." If Kyu received a penny for every glare she'd obtained over the past few years, she'd be a millionaire. "Assassin."

_That explains his exceptional strength and skill... I can make the assumption that his training was as painful as mine._

_Nah. Probably less. I mean seriously, who else gets almost every bone in their body dislocated every day?  
_

_Ok you make a good point._

"Ah. Family business?"

_Sluuuurp. _"Yup."

"Sounds rather-" Blank eyes oggled at her from the window behind Killua. Kyu's mouth hung open, words forgotten, gaping at the familiar face peering in from outside the window. A window approximately 700 metres above sea level.

"Holy shi-" The gaze turned venemous, prompting the girl to slam her jaw shut.

Illumi disappeared as soon as Killua swung around to inspect the scene behind him. The white-haired boy then gave Kyu a dubious look. "What are you gawking at?"

"N-Nothing." Gulp. The man was back outside the window as soon as Killua turned his back. _The hell is with this freak...? Screw this. I'm leaving. _Almost overturning her chair process, Kyu bolted to the elevator and mashed the 'down' button fast. In her panic, Kyu completely neglected the posibility of using her ability to 'magic' away to a safe location. A dangerous mistake.

"That was rude." The girl almost jumped out of her skin. Illumi was standing right next to her in the elevator lobby.

_For fuck's sake. Not again!_

_How in the world did he get inside so quickly?_

_Oh god... please don't let his magic ability be teleportation..._

_Heh. Shorty doesn't look too pleased to see this guy either... Maybe they know each other._

"Uh..." Kyu squeezed herself against the wall, silently hoping she become part of the blue-gray surface. Propping himself against the wall with one arm, Illumi leaned in way too close for comfort.

"Aniki!"

_Whut. _Her eyes flitted from man to boy and back. _This freak is his big bro? The hell? They look nothing alike..._

"Kill, what did I tell you about forging friendships?"

"Sh-She's not my friend."

Illumi's blank stare rested on the prisoner trapped between the wall and himself. "Then I suppose it wouldn't be a problem for me to kill her."

Killua stayed quiet; after all, he owed her no favours. And without any help Kyu was a goner. Her ability required a 1cm gap to use at the very least; a 1cm gap in open air, not a solid or a liquid. The second rule of her ability is that the shape of the gateway she opens can only be a perfect circle. Illumi's nose was less than 7mm from her own, rendering her ability useless. This situation was perilous for the young nen-user thanks to her mindless positioning. Kyu cursed wordlessly at her own carelessness.

"Haha. Just kidding. It would be a waste to kill you." How is it even possible to laugh so heartily with a poker face? Right now she didn't care enough to waste precious brain power to ponder over meaningless things. What she needed was an indication that he was lying; a twitch of an eyebrow, an unecessary blink, any action that betrayed his untruth. To the child's relief, none were to be found. Kyu breathed in relief when he moved away, unaware of when she had stopped breathing in the first place.

_Just my luck... why does everyone want me alive because I'm 'useful'?_

_You're complaining that he let you live?_

_What do you mean, 'let me live'?_

_We are all perfectly aware of the fact that he's much stronger than you are. Not just you but our crazy side too.  
_

_Hmph._

"Give me your number girl."

"Huh?"

"Phone number. I'll call you when I have a use for you."

"Uhh..." More than a little reluctant, Kyu recited her mobile number in a brief moment; in hopes that Illumi couldn't memorise it. She watched as he took his own mobile phone out and tap the screen several times. So much for short term memory.

"Kill," The older brother patting the boy on the head, said, "you will kill her in a few years, when you're stronger."

"Got it."

_Oh hell no. I'm outta here. _Finally remembering her ability, Kyu opened a human-sized portal and jumped the hell away from the brotherly bonding session. She was in such a hurry that she almost sliced off her own foot in her haste to close the gateway. The receptionist sitting behind the registration counter nearly fell out of her chair at Kyu's sudden appearance.

"Checking out! My name's Kyu, room 2210!" Kyu half yelled at the frightened receptionist. There was not a minute to waste. She had to get out of Heavens Arena the creepy stalker took the elevator down.

_On second thought, he could probably jump off the building._

_All the more reason to get the fuck away from this city!_

_Go go go go!_

* * *

Kyu collapsed on the ground several kilometres out of the city. There she lay, panting from exertion when her phone started ringing. Sweet, blessed ringing. None of those weird ringtones, just the default telephone ringing sound.

"OhmygodFeitanwhattookyousodamnlongIseriouslythoughtIwasdeadmeat-"

_"[Brat. You're making no sense.]"_

_Right. Chinese._ "[Where are you? Can we please get off this continent?]"

Noise crackled over the speaker. Kyu narrowed her eyes. Was that sick bastard... laughing? That breathy chuckle of his was unmistakable, even over a phone.

_"[You__ sound scared, brat. Perhaps we should stay in the Republic of Pakodea for a few more weeks. There are some video game stores I want to visit while we're here.]"  
_

That sick, sick, jerk. He knew she was anxious to leave and he was going to torture her by forcing her to stay. It was at times like these that Kyu really regretted hanging out with a master torturer. However, the last bit of his sentence caught her attention.

"[Video games? What's that?]"

She could hear Feitan snorting in disbelief on the other end of the line. "[Pitiful. You don't even know what video games are.]"

"[It's called living in a forest for most of my life, then travelling around for the rest you jackass.]"

"[Yorksnew city. Airport. Now.]" The call ended with a click.

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**Did you guys enjoy this chapter? If you did, please R&R!**

**(I won't be on much for the next two weeks, assessment time :( Too much studying to do.)**


	17. Chapter 17

**********I DO NOT OWN HUNTER X HUNTER OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS. THAT BELONGS TO NO-LONGER-ON-HIATUS-TOGASHI. HOWEVER KYU DOES BELONG TO ME SO DON'T USE HER WITHOUT MY PERMISSION.**

**:D  
**

**I didn't say which Thursday :D**

**Ok to be perfectly honest, I had a bit of homework piled up and I needed to finish it. :(**

******************************A note before you start reading, all dialogue that looks like "[This stuff inside here with the weird brackets]" is spoken in Chinese. _Italics _are for thoughts.**

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Kyu covered her ears as a loud rumbling passed overhead. Loud noise still caused an aching pain inside her head from the injury given to her by some revenge crazed man 2 years ago.

_Damned asshole just **had** to choose an airport as a rendezvous point. _

_Supposing he just finished a job, it's not a huge surprise. Quit whining._

_He'd better hurry. I'm impatient._

_Hmph. Unlike the rest of us._

_Look! There he is!_

Sure enough, Feitan was making his way through the sliding doors. Kyu grinned widely at the familiar tuft of black hair bobbing up and down, headache forgotten instantly.

_Hmm...? Who's that weird guy behind him?_

_He's soooo taaall... *drools*_

_Please have some self-respect. Is that... an egyptian headdress?_

_Who the heck wears ancient egyptian tunics anymore? There's a reason they're called 'ancient'._

_I wonder if he's friendly?_

_Hehe~ pharaoh is smilin'. Unlike grumpyguts.  
_

As they walked closer, Kyu noticed that the taller guy was actually conversing with Feitan, who was nodding now and then to show he was listening. Which came as a huge surprise since the girl knew from experience how hard it could be keeping her head attached to her shoulders whenever she attempted to talk to him; phone calls not included. And here this pharaoh guy was chatting to him like any other merciful non-murderer.

Dayum. She wanted to know him better.

_Act cool Kyu. Act cool._

_Then shuttup and lemme think._

"Sup Feitan." _Damn dude, you almost stuttered on the first word. Nice._

"Hmph."

"Who's the kid?" Now that he was looming over her, Kyu noticed something weird. Something weirder than the golden snake headdress. Something she couldn't put her finger on. So she stared at him all the while trying to find that thing that ticked her off as abnormal. Phinks took this as a challenge and glared right back. Neither budged from their positions for 5 long minutes. The taller man could feel his eyes beginning to water, no thanks to the wind blowing in his face. On the other hand Kyu entered deep into a daydream and was just staring glassy-eyed into space.

A hand shoved in front of her face, abruptly disrupting her trip into lala-land. "Phinks."

She quickly closed her mouth from its undignified gape and placed her tiny hand in the man's big one. "Kyu. You're a friend of Feitan's?"

"Met him a few days ago. 'Seems cool. You?"

"Heh. 2 years." _Unfortunately enough. Hmm...? Why is Feitan looking away...? _

_..._

_..._

_Woah... don't tell me he's embarrassed?_

_No way dude. Holy shit who is this guy?_

"Che. Stop talk. Go to arcade."

"We're bringing the kid along?" What was with people not using her name after she'd given it to them? She certainly hoped it wasn't going to be a trend.

"Brat help. Slave."

Ignoring her new title of 'slave', Kyu tilted her head slightly and asked, "What's an arcade?"

...

...

...

Phinks' eyeballs nearly popped out of his head at that very moment.

"HOW COULD YOU NOT KNOW WHAT AN ARCADE IS?!"

The poor girl covered her ears at his sudden outburst. Her question wasn't an unreasonable one; well at least not in her opinion. What occurred next was a ten minute rant by the pharaoh about how great gaming innovation was and bladibladiblah while Feitan watched with an amused smirk. Boy was he enjoying this little drama because for once he wasn't the victim of a comedy act. That frightened gawk on Kyu's face was another reason for his amusement. But bickering is never a good source of entertainment for long.

"Shut up. Move." Turning his back on his two companions, Feitan walked in the direction of the nearest arcade, not bothering to check if they were coming along. Which they were.

Phinks had also calmed down slightly. He huffed, "Kid, you really need to get a life."

"I try. So how'd you meet gru- I mean Feitan? 'Business'?" _Phew, that was close. I almost called him grumpyguts for a second there._

_And we all know how dangerous that can get._

_Heh yeah. Unless I'm at least a kilometre away._

"Fei? I met him after Danchou-" Phinks shut his mouth with a snap when the Chinese man twitched his head. _I'm saying too much... Wait, so this girl doesn't know about the Ryodan? _He gazed questioningly at the short mass of black hair, deliberating over this thought. _I assume he's hiding her existence from the Ryodan or vice versa. Or maybe he hasn't been bothered to mention her?_

A hand shot out and snagged a handful of chips from the packet of an unfortunate chubby kid, who now had a few less chips and none the wiser. Kyu offered her loot to the two adults before crunching through one herself. _She's a capable thief... Fei, what are your intentions?_

_Gck! _The man had a sudden revelation, _Why am I answering her questions? I barely know this kid! _"Oi kid,"

"?" Grease and crumbs caked her mouth. She'd been pretty busy stealing other goodies to nom on while Phinks was contemplating over whether or not to trust her.

_...To heck with it. What harm can she do?_

"What's it to you?"

_What's it to me? Oh. He wants to know about my background._

_No shit genius._

Although hesitant in revealing any information about herself, Kyu decided to return the favour and tell him what he wanted to know. She, after all, firmly believed in equivalent exchange. The reversed version.

"I'm from a small continent to the East of the Yorbian continent. Can't remember exactly where though." Well, that was half the truth. Kyu knew where she was from, but not the exact coordinates of the village. A quick glance at Feitan confirmed that he wasn't going to jut in and prove her wrong. She almost heaved a sigh. It was at times like this she really enjoyed his company. Feitan, unlike your average grumpy companion, minded his own business and refused to screw with the fates of others. Unless of course it involved torture or death.

"Never been there. Huh. I could have sworn you're from Ryuusegai. Not many kids outside of that junkyard can pickpocket like you."

"Thank Feitan for dumping me there. I spent a week learning how to survive off garbage..."

"Don't you start complaining about trivial shit. I had to deal with it since I was a toddler."

"...You're from Ryuusegai?"

"Yeah. Me and Feitan." Kyu bit her lip to stop herself from correcting the man. But then again... _Feitan never told me anything about his hometown. Or anything about himself for that matter..._

The dark-haired man caught her stare. "What."

Kyu shrugged and casually walked past Feitan, his glare firmly planted on the back of her head. There were no doubts as to what sort of murderous thoughts he had in mind. _Should I be readying a portal...?_

_..._

_..._

_Hmm...? I can't feel his glare on me anymore.  
_

_You can't even sense Feitan. Or Phinks._

_Great job you brain-dead idiot. You just lost them._

_Relax, they're not little kids who need to have an eye kept on them at all times._

_No they're not. There's one cold-blooded murderer and a badly dressed pharaoh, which is a hundred times worse._

_Oh._

_Why not try that building with a flashing 'Arcade' sign on it?_

_...Yup, right, totally._

_You really are an idiot._

Loud, blaring music assaulted her ears, reviving a long chain of headaches. The smell of smoke and cigarettes and a certain yellow fluid very nearly maimed her sense of smell. The only thing in this hellhole that wasn't too bad for the girl was the dim lighting, which suited her eyes perfectly. Needless to say, Kyu felt very reluctant to continue on her search. Silently she cursed (not for the first time) her curiosity. The tiled floor was a horrid creamy yellow- or at least had been before years of muddy teenager shoes painted it an uneven grey. Sparing no sympathy for the floor, Kyu scurried around, trying to search for one short black emo and a badly dressed pharaoh using sight alone. With all this noise, she could barely hear herself think. Which was actually a good thing.

She couldn't even use En to find them- she was terrible at that particular Nen technique. Everything else she excelled at learning; Ten, Zetsu, Hatsu... ok maybe not Ren. Ren was harder for her to master than the other three principles, hence her failure at applying En. Her current limit was a measly 1 metre, barely enough to sense mosquitoes flying around her. The whole idea of pushing your own Nen out of your body was just... weird to Kyu. Being a super conservative Nen fighter may be one reason. Though the more plausible reason is her dislike of making her presence known.**  
**

Then she became aware of a certain possibility. _Are they even here? Heck, they might not even be in this arcade. Bummer. Stupid Feitan won't answer his phone._

"WHAT THE ****!" Someone hollered over the song _Bad Apple _playing on a Dance Dance Revolution game.

_Hmm... that sounds an awful lot like Phinks._

As Kyu walked among the Mortal Kombat arcade machines, she found one sneering Feitan and a flabbergasted Phinks. She couldn't help but laugh at Phinks' expression of utter surprise and confusion. Surprise of which Feitan was guilty, judging by the smug twist of his lips.

"You took your time kid."

"I got lost. Like little kids do." Smirk.

"Why you-" A vein popped on Phinks' forehead.

Feitan decided offer a new bit of knowledge for the girl by responding his rage with two words. "Nerd rage."

"There's no way you could have beaten me with Sub-Zero! I was playing my best character, Scorpion," He protested.

"Your best no good."

"REMATCH! NOW!"

Meanwhile Kyu had no idea what they were arguing over. She glanced at the screen of Feitan's machine.

_What is this? These badly drawn moving blobs on the screen- are they... people?_

_What's the red stuff?_

_Blood. Duh. Really badly drawn blood._

_How'd it get inside this machine? And why's Feitan mashing at the buttons?_

_No idea._

_Hehehe~ looks fun._

_It's a game. They look like they're having fun._

Slowly but surely, Kyu leaned closer and closer to Feitan's shoulder, trying to get a better view. He only responded by nonchalantly nudging her hair out of the way when it began to block the screen, which was drastically different to his actions when Kyu got into his way outside. Her body would normally be greeted with a volley of physical punishment, but not this time. He was concentrating hard. Either that or he was in a really really really REALLY good mood.

A few minutes later Phinks slammed his fists onto the controls. "What is this bullshit?!"

Feitan's shoulders shook with quiet laughter, inaudible over the loud arcade music. "Lose again."

The pharaoh removed his headdress and ran his hand through his hair several times in an attempt to calm down. Feitan's mocking body language slowed down the process considerably. Kyu took this chance to ask her question.

"Can you teach me how to play?"

"What? No go learn how to play yourself-"

"I teach girl how play." The girl blinked a few times at her mentor. Was he actually...?

Phinks grudgingly moved over to make room for the new participant while Feitan began to explain the controls in detail.

"[This is the joystick. Use it to move your character on the screen. These buttons execute attacks. Use them with the joystick to activate combos. The objective is to kill the other player's character before they kill yours. Understand?]"

A quick nod showed her understanding.

"[Then let's play.]"

* * *

"Wow! Check out these guys!"

"They've been at it for three hours straight! The girl's blocking everything the guy is throwing at her!"

"He's no noob either! Look at those special attacks and dodging skills."

"These guys are pros..."

"Move over I want to see!"

A huge crowd had gathered around the two players, still mashing at the buttons, hands moving at lightning fast speed. If the Chinese man was hoping for an easy opponent, he was sorely wrong. Kyu's reflexes allowed to her play with the skill of a seasoned gamer but she was still lacking in experience. So with one last combo, Feitan finally managed to inflict Fatality upon her character. Kyu leaned back on the stool, stretching her arms to loosen up her tight muscles. Even Feitan was slightly stiff from all the intense button mashing. Phinks was already 'done' and out of there (as he put it) 5 minutes into the match. Watching those two Asians play heavily pounded on his self-esteem as a pro gamer. He contented himself at a nearby pinball machine instead.

The crowd dispersed as their superheated fight ended. Today was a good day. Kyu found a new form of entertainment, one which didn't involve pain or suffering. Feitan discovered a new playmate, one who could truly challenge his skills. And Phinks- well... let's just say he had a good time with the pinball machine.

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**Arcades are fun :D**

**Holidays are coming up, so hopefully I'll return to the original update schedule.**


	18. Chapter 18

**********I DO NOT OWN HUNTER X HUNTER OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS. THAT BELONGS TO NO-LONGER-ON-HIATUS-TOGASHI. HOWEVER KYU DOES BELONG TO ME SO DON'T USE HER WITHOUT MY PERMISSION.**

**Drivers test. Blame that for the super late update.  
**

**Actually no just blame me D:**

**I deserve all of the rotten tomatoes for updating this late. **

**And sorry Usagi, I don't plan on doing any romance D: Pairing just aren't my thing girl.**

**Anyway, enjoy!**

******************************A note before you start reading, all dialogue that looks like "[This stuff inside here with the weird brackets]" is spoken in Chinese. _Italics _are for thoughts.**

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Two men and one girl sat in a hotel room, a luxurious feast splayed out in front of them. Kyu silently observed while Phinks attempted to shovel chicken curry down his throat faster than he could swallow. Boy was it a sight to behold. The pharaoh had no table manners whatsoever; a minor setback Kyu was prepared to overlook.

"T-this is..."

"?"

"SO DELICIOUS!"

Rice spurted from Phinks' mouth, successfully peppering Kyu with specks of white all over a hastily lifted arm. Feitan just flicked the projectiles away with his chopsticks and grumbled a few complaints. The three unlikely friends were sitting at a square table, with the two men facing each other.

"Eww. Is my cooking really that good?"

"Good? Good?! This is amazing!"

The girl blushed slightly at his enthusiastic compliments. "Feitan never gives me his opinion."

"Feitan doesn't know how to appreciate good cooking," He smacked the other man's back in a playful way. A shockwave of air accompanied the dull thump, suggesting to Kyu that any normal human being would have hand their lungs knocked out of their ribcage by the force of impact. Feitan didn't even budge.

* * *

_Several hours earlier..._

* * *

Three shadows, one tall, two short, stretched across the smoothly paved road.

***Grooowl***

"?"

"We should get to a bar or something. I'm starving." Phinks rubbed his belly and sighed. "Haven't eaten since yesterday."

Kyu frowned at his suggestion. "But I'm underage... Ow! What was that for?!" She glared at the small Chinese man who flicked her.

"Girl stand outside." He snickered. The other two exchanged a look. Feitan had a weird sense of humor.

_Well... at least he doesn't call me brat._

_Not all the time he doesn't. He still calls you brat when he gets pissed you know._

"Sounds like _soooo_ much fun. How about I make dinner instead?"

Phinks raised his eyebrow- or should I say eyebrow muscle because he had no eyebrows- and commented, "Really? Have a 'lil brat prepare my food? No th-"

The pharaoh was interrupted before he could object. "Girl cook. Fish. Prawns."

"Sure thing Feitan. Anything you want in particular, Phinks?"

"...Curry."

"Sure."

"Don't you dare poison it."

"Sur- pffftt ahhaaahahaAHAHA-" Kyu could not stop laughing for the life of her. An incredible feeling of déjà vu gripped the girl and tossed her around on the ground. Luckily, there was noone in the immediate vicinity of notice her floundering on the ground. The second friend she makes in this new world and he has the same suspicions as the first. Even the usually stern-faced Feitan cracked one of his rare smiles at the memory. From the first meal onwards, there was hardly a time Kyu prepared anything that disagreed with his digestive system.

_In fact... after she started buying books on local biology all the meals seemed to improve my health._

But Phinks wasn't amused at all. Inside jokes are only funny to those who know the context, after all. A sharp kick in the gut cut the child's laughing fit short.

Wiping tears from her eyes, Kyu latched onto a nearby lamp-post for support. Those tears were half joyful and half painful because Phinks didn't hold back at all.

"Urghh... Well I'm off to make preparations. Feitan, behave yourself while I'm gone ok?" The man nodded. "It'll take around an hour. Keep your phone on."

After confirming that neither of the adults were going to do anything rash while she was gone, Kyu quickly dashed away to find (and hunt for) her ingredients. Normally she would just portal to a forest or the sea, but letting skilled Nen-users know one's ability is dangerous. Knowledge can mean life or death in a battle between evenly matched opponents. And she could feel the powerful aura rolling off Phinks like heat which meant she was nowhere near his level. She could also smell traces of blood on his hands.

_He doesn't seem to be holding any ill intent towards me though. I suppose I can trust him._

_Let's see if you still think that when he's ripping your head off. Hmph._

_Yeah dude, you're way too gullible for your- or should I say our- own good. You can't just trust someone you met this morning._

_I just don't have any bad premonitions from the guy. And plus, I trusted Feitan from the moment I met him. What harm did that do?_

_Hmm... not much. Only several broken bones, countless cuts, bruises, dislocations, and brain damage. Like I said. Not much._

_You can't blame him for the brain damage._

_Ah yes~ that was some other idiot. I made sure his guts crushed nice and tight~_

_Ew._

* * *

"Hey," Feitan felt a nudge on his shoulder, "beer?"

"...No."

"You can't be serious. Are you seriously going to eat shit made by some eight year old kid? We should go to a bar for some proper food."

"Nine."

"Yeah I know what her name is." The Chinese man frowned at his words, unsure of whether his friend understood what he had intended. Perhaps not. "Let's go to The Blue Moon, I hear they have steak."

"...No. We stay. Wait and eat brat's food."

Phinks stared long and hard at his new friend. There was definitely something wrong with him apart from his unhealthy addiction to torture. Unhealthy only for his victims. But if he was so intent on eating her food...

_Just this once. _The pharaoh thought, _If it's nasty then at least I can tease him._

* * *

_Back to the present..._

* * *

"So you like the curry? I Googled some curry recipes and made my own instead of buying the premade sauce."

Phinks nodded enthusiastically and asked, "What did you use? This sweet and savory taste... mixed with just the right amount of spiciness is amazing! The rice is a bit... second-rate but the curry shines over it."

"I put some fresh coconut in. From an island not too far off the shore of the southern continent. A bit of cardamom and cinnamon to spice up the taste and other... stuff." If Phinks bothered looking at her that moment, he would surely have paused at the sly twinkle in her eyes. Feitan, who did happen to notice, didn't care much for the ingredients. He knew she would know better than to use anything toxic in his food; because if she did... the consequences would not be pretty.

But Phinks did notice one thing. One thing that caused him to glance down at the food suspiciously. "Why aren't you eating?"

"Ah. I've already eaten."

"...Sure."

Kyu sighed and turned to Feitan. "How's the pufferfish?"

"..."

"Glad you like it."

When both her patrons were finished with their meals, the girl hefted the dirty plates and cutlery into the small kitchen provided with the room. Usually she'd just dump the load through a gateway without second thought, but she was still unwilling to reveal her ability to Phinks.

She sighed, thinking, _Secrecy has a price..._

Meanwhile in the living room, Phinks picked his teeth and stared at his friend sitting cross-armed across the table. There wasn't much to do for either of them. Kyu could be heard humming happily to herself over the sound of splashing water.

"So." Phinks tried.

The Chinese man raised his eyebrows in return. "So?"

"The girl."

"What about girl?"

"What's it to her?"

"She tell you earlier."

The other man snorted in contempt. "She told me where she was from. That's hardly enough for me to trust her. She holds you in high regard, Feitan. I can tell by the way she so carefully moves around you."

"She fear me."

"Not just that. She also admires you. And she's quite familiar with your attitude too. I'd say you two have known each other for a while. I'm sure you know more about her than you're letting up. Also, why haven't you mentioned the Ryodan to her? Or vice-versa?"

Feitan averted his gaze to the curtained window. He, of course, had his own reasons for concealing her presence. Whether it was because he wanted to avoid the trouble of introducing the two parties or if he wanted to keep her ability under his control... he was unsure. Sure, he understood the advantages the troupe would gain if he did let Kuroro utilise her unique power... but...

"Fei. I want an answer."

"..."

Why did he keep her a secret? He wracked his brains for a suitable excuse.

_The child is useful... but weak. I must let her power mature before presenting her to Kuroro. Yes, that's it! He should take her power only when it is fully developed._

"Feitan. Answer." The other man was getting riled up at his evasiveness. What he heard next would decide on whether or not the hotel was destroyed.

"...I train girl." Judging by the way Phinks' aura settled down, he knew this was a plausible answer. "I train as assistant. Help troupe."

"Why didn't you say so earlier? Shucks, I almost thought you were plotting something behind our backs." He leaned back onto the chair with a creak. Stupid crappy hotel chairs. At that moment, the sound of clinking and water from the kitchen stopped. Kyu emerged wiping her hands on a towel.

"Phinks, get your feet off the table. I'm going to wipe it."

Seeing as she provided an excellent dinner, he moved his feet obediently with a small "Hmph".

If the young girl heard any of the conversation that went between the two grown-ups, her voice and actions betrayed nothing. Mostly because she hadn't payed any attention to what they were saying, and Feitan knew it. Whenever she started humming it was a sure sign she was totally spaced out. An extremely annoying trait when the torturer tried to get her attention, but also useful for private conversations.

The rest of the night passed without incident apart from some hollering from Kyu because of the mess Phinks made in the bathroom. Even Feitan looked more pissed than usual when he walked into the trashed bathroom. His obsession for cleanliness almost activated his Nen ability, Pain Packer. Luckily he took Kuroro's advice to take a few deep breaths when he was 'troubled'. As in 'about to fly into a murderous rage'. So when the time came for Phinks to part with them in the morning, he was more than glad. The blonde man was an irreplaceable partner in combat and entertainment, but when it came to daily life...

"[Even that brat is a better companion than he...]" Feitan grumbled under his breath.

Kyu stopped waving goodbye, surprised at what she thinks she may have heard. "[Huh?]"

"[Nothing. Let's move, girl.]"

...

...

Kyu gaped at him. This was the first time he didn't address her as 'brat'. Feitan turned around and disappeared, already several hundred metres away. Kyu grinned wider than ever before.

_So he's finally acknowledging me, huh?_

_About time. That asshole has put us through so damn much._

The amount of training, the amount of pain she went through just to stay by his side... Everything she did she did to maintain her usefulness to the man. To ensure her survival. With next to no effort she caught up to Feitan. He was running a lot slower than he did when he traveled alone to accommodate for his companion's lack of speed.

_On second thought... _"[Feitan, can we stop at the bookstore before we leave?]"

"[Do what you want girl. Just don't make me wait.]"

* * *

Peddler's Pages was a quiet little bookstore tucked into a corner of an alley. Visitors that frequented this small library were as few as the number of light-bulbs in this musty place. Even the owner was as old and wizened as the yellowed pages that lined the shelves of his store. The door bell tinkled as one of his most frequent customers entered.

Frederick Peddler looked up from the book he had in hand. "Ah, Kyu. How have you been? Come to pity this old man again?"

"Not bad, not bad. You should really get out some more, Fred. The sunlight does wonders for old age."

"Hmm... I'd rather avoid these 'wonders'. So what brings you here today? Another book on botany?"

Kyu smiled warmly. "Actually, do you have anything on anatomy? Preferably human, thanks."

"Head down the third section, left side." He went back to reading his book. Kyu uttered a quick word of thanks before stepping over stacks of dusty tomes to get to the anatomy section.

_Thwump. _"Crap." A red covered book fell to the ground, it's teetering balance overturned by the not so graceful girl. Kyu glanced at the shopkeeper to see if he noticed her little accident. The old man tended to get grouchy when people dropped or misused books. Luckily for her, the wispy haired shopkeeper was much too absorbed into the novel he was reading.

A cloud of dust parted when she picked up the book and dusted off the cover for a better look. The cover depicted a strange little doll-like girl sitting in bed, reading a book that had on the cover another little girl sitting on a bed- so on and so forth.

"'My Alphabet' by Trevor Brown?" Mischievous ideas popped into her mind immediately.

_Hehehe, this is perfect for grumpyguts. He neeeeds to learn to read text other than Chinese script.  
_

_This books is called 'my alphabet' too! It's like a gift from god. You know, figuratively speaking.  
_

_Hell yes! Let's buy it!_

_Do your best to run after you give him the book. That is if you want to keep your head on your shoulders._

_Will do._

In the anatomy section, Kyu found the books she was searching for and went back to the counter. Stealing books didn't really agree with her tattered moral. Stealing books from old men... now that was even worse.

"How much for these ones Fred?"

"...zzz"

"Fred. FREDERICK."

"Wha-" Papers flew everywhere like confetti. "Whadidoyaho?"

"You dropped your spectacles Fred. You really need to stop falling asleep in places other than your bed or couch."

"Beds and couches are for the meek."

"...You lost your bed in this mess, didn't you?"

"Err... 12000 jenny for the books."

Kyu raised an eyebrow. "Fine fine. 10000 jenny. I was just testing."

After she handed the money over (money looted from the generous pockets of others) it was Frederick's turn to raise an eyebrow.

"What?"

"That book... I never thought children would be interested. The world grows more queer with each generation."

_A weird book? Even better. _"It's for a friend. Bye!"

The door eased shut quietly while Frederick Peddler stared, wondering just what sort of friends Kyu has.

* * *

"[Brat. You made me wait.]" Back to brat again. His respect was short-lived.

"[Sorry. I found you a gift.]"

"..." He clearly knew she was playing a trick on him. Two years worth of practical jokes built up an acute intuition in the man. But hey, just one more reason to beat her up, right? He had nothing to lose. "[Then hand it over.]"

Feitan extended one pale hand and gestured for his 'gift'. What she handed him...

_Of course it had to be book. This brat... she mocks me._

At this point, Kyu could barely contain her laughter. Feitan's pissed expression was so worth the effort. And the pain she would would go through later. _Just one more spice to add to the fun..._

"Have a read. It's not a bad story." Truth be told, Kyu had no idea as to what was inside that book. In her eagerness to play her prank, she hadn't even bothered to turn to the first page.

_THUNK. _Feitan threw his 'girft' hard at her head. The book flew open and landed on the concrete, pages flipping as if the wind itself was having a read. One flash of red on a page caught the small man's attention. He stooped and picked the book up again, one hand still twisting Kyu's arm behind her back. Ignoring her cries of pain, he had a better look at the picture.

...

...

Feitan liked what he was seeing. 'Loved' would be a better way to put it. His eyes were glued to the page for many long minutes.

"[Uh... Feitan?]"

"..."

"[Can you let go of my wrist now? My hand is turning purple.]"

"..."

Sensing no reply from the man, Kyu twisted her neck to get a better view of the page, ignoring the loud crack that came from her left shoulder. One look was all she needed. Trevor Brown books aren't bestselling children's picture books for a reason. Instead, she worked on getting her arm back into its socket. Not an easy task considering Feitan's iron grip was still firmly attached to her wrist. Having eased herself into a comfortable position, the girl sat down and waited for Feitan to come back to his senses.

_Well... at least this isn't a busy street._

_I swear this asshole has no shame. Reading a book like that in broad daylight?_

_You're the one who bought him that stupid Trevor Brown book._

_Shut up. Who the f**k names a book with weird porn and sh*t 'my alphabet' anyway?  
_

From that day on, Feitan would spend most of his free time oggling at that Trevor Brown book and many others, which he either stole himself or forced Kyu to buy in public.

From that day on, Kyu learned to never play tricks on her grumpy companion ever again in fear that another prank might end up coming back to bite her like the 'alphabet incident', which is what she called it from that day on.

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**I just really wanted to do something related to those Trevor Brown books. How could I resist? Next chapter will be another timeskip. We're getting closer to meeting the troupe :D**


	19. Chapter 19

**********I DO NOT OWN HUNTER X HUNTER OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS. THAT BELONGS TO NO-LONGER-ON-HIATUS-TOGASHI. HOWEVER KYU DOES BELONG TO ME SO DON'T USE HER WITHOUT MY PERMISSION.**

**New update. Yay! Finally, a chapter with some action. Might be a bit violent.  
**

**Please review if you enjoyed! Or even if you didn't ;-;**

******************************A note before you start reading, all dialogue that looks like "[This stuff inside here with the weird brackets]" is spoken in Chinese. _Italics _are for thoughts.**

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"[Feitan! Stop reading that book already! We're nearly there.]"

"[Shut up.]"

Clad head to toe in black, the duo strode down the more notorious part of town, where people with any common sense chose not to pass through without armed bodyguards or a vehicle, preferably a tank. Even the policemen forsook these shady streets and chose to patrol the lighter side of society. Liars, thieves and murderers alike gathered behind every shambled building, around every dark corner, lying in wait for the next unsuspecting idiot to wander into their clutches. These denizens of darkness killed for either of these two reasons; for fun or for profit.

Kyu, in her more naïve days, believed her mentor frequented these places for the large wads of cash that follow an assassination or two. One look at his maniacal smirk when he tortured their targets was enough to prove her wrong. Feitan was obviously taking these hits for the fun of it. Watching him snap every bone from finger to shoulder on a pitiful screaming victim was fun, and doing it was probably even more fun. Especially if the victim was a fat, arrogant pig. She had no conscience for fat, arrogant pigs. There was no denying it. Feitan was a professional.

Lokiel. That was the name of their new employer. Why she bothered to remember his name was a mystery. Almost every employer they worked for would end up in unfortunately dead within hours of them receiving payment. Kyu sighed. If Feitan decided that the best way to keep their anonymity was to kill every mafia boss they worked for, then so be it. Even though she donned a kitsune mask on every job. Silly as it may look, it did the trick. That and not talking. The mask was also useful for concealing her gender and age from any sexist bastards they came across. The two were almost identical apart from their height; Kyu was only half a head shorter than Feitan now. She'd grown over 10cm in the past year, and now that she was getting close to his height, Feitan's shortness was becoming more and more obvious. Still, she was in no position to call him Shorty.

_Stupid Feitan. Why can't he just wear a mask like me?_

_Because he enjoys 'silencing' our employers. Duh._

_The things he does to them... ugh. I blame that damned book._

The girl shivered behind her mask. That book... it was both her doing and her undoing. Feitan felt her shiver.

"[Scared already, girl? Pathetic. You make it seem like your first time.]"

She didn't answer. They stepped silently out of the night and into a building in a slightly lesser state of disrepair. Feitan finally realised it was a good time to put away his book and slipped it back into his vest. He pulled open a trapdoor and descended down a set of stairs. Every corner they turned smell like cigarettes; every handrail coated in a fine layer of grit, to which Feitan 'tsk'ed in distate. He hated the smell and grime as much as Kyu. Sure, blood and guts splattered everywhere didn't bother him one bit. But man-made waste? Disgusting. All the more reason for this new employer to meet his end after they received the cash.

Upon reaching the basement, they pushed open a door to find a spotless chamber of greenish rock empty of dust, furniture and... people? The only thing in the room was a dim light-bulb dangling from the dripping ceiling. Feitan narrowed his eyes. The presences he felt earlier had disappeared without a trace. Which could only mean three things.

1. Nen users. Proficient in Zetsu.

2. Their reputation for executing their employers has finally reached the ears of other mafias.

3. A trap.

_WHUMP. _A large slab of stone sealed the stairwell, confirming his suspicions. The floor dropped several metres down into the ground, providing them with a high-ceiling. Kyu looked at him questioningly, wordlessly asking if he wanted her to get them out. He shook his head. Whoever set this trap was going to pay. And not only in cash.

Five other slabs of stone suddenly topped from the walls, revealing five strange individuals. Four men, one woman. Each one wore a different colour; red, blue, green, white and yellow. The oldest of the quintuple, a man with flowing white hair and beard tied into a neat braid, wore a robe with swirling patterns of mountain mist. The bearer of red appeared to be the twin of the man wearing green, both sharing a pot belly and a mono-brow. They wore simple chest-plates and pantaloons. The only female in this weird group wore blue. Well, she was so scantily dressed saying she wore skin colour would be more accurate ("*cough* Slut *cough*" - Kyu). The last member was a lanky man, wearing a yellow woolen jumper. His hair seemed to stand on end.

Kyu resisted the urge to roll on the floor and laugh herself to tears. These people were clearly trying to mimic the five elements of fire, water, air, earth and lightning. Feitan looked on, unimpressed by the jiggling bellies of the twins. Once again, Kyu found herself wondering why Nen users in the mafia tend to band together into cheesy little groups with cheesy names. Shadow Beasts, Soul Reapers, Night Wolves were only a few of the names they managed to come up with. And guess what this particular group was called?

"WE ARE THE ELEMENTALS." Boomed the Earth-man.

"WE WILL BRING YOUR HEAD TO LOKIEL FOR A HEFTY REWARD. PREPARE TO DIE." Fire-man had a go at hollering.

Lightning-guy smirked nastily at his small opponents with sharp little teeth. Air-dude kept an over-dramatic atmosphere of calmness.

"Hya~ Boss is giving us such insignificant hits again. First old people and now children. What is he thinking?" Water-woman pouted.

"..." Kyu couldn't say much to that introduction. However, Feitan began to seethe beside her. If there was anything he hated more than being called a midget, it was imbeciles mistaking him for a child. Or just mocking him. Kyu felt the rage rising off him and hastily took a step away from the man. Last time she stayed too close when he drew his sword, he almost sliced her arm off unintentionally. It wasn't that he was clumsy or anything; he simply did not give a f**k about her well-being when he was pissed off.

"You. Die. Fuck." The words were spat out with such venom that the Water-woman took a step back. They hadn't expected a miniature Chinese boy (man) to have such a toxic attitude. Water-woman regained her composure.

"Hah. We'll see about that!" She shot right back.

Kyu leaned over and muttered, "[Well, have fun with these guys. I'll wait over in a corner until you're done. Savvy?]" She knew him well enough to know he would want them all to himself. Plus, he never asked for her help anyway. Kyu walked to the corner, leaned against the mouldy wall, straightened back up in disgust while brushing the flecks of mould of her back.

All five Elementals exchanged a glare, then charged at Feitan. He was ready for them, umbrella-sword out in a flash. What he wasn't ready for was a cage of stone slamming down on him. Kyu wasn't exactly ready for the 5 people who swerved around Feitan's stone prison coming straight at her with murder in their eyes either.

_What the f-_ her head came within centimetres of being crush between the two sweaty palms of the Fire-Earth twins, right after which her butt was singed with green flames. _HOT HOT HOT-_

_WHAM!_ A jagged pillar of stone erupted from the ground, catching her painfully in the ribs. Twisting in mid-air Kyu tried to regain her balance,an invisible wall of air knocked her across the room before she could react. These guys weren't so badly named after all. Each of their abilities involved manipulating a certain substance, chemical reaction or force. Kyu learned this the hard way as her body was tossed round the chamber like a rag doll.

_Is this what it feels like to be dog toy...?_

She was brought to an abrupt halt by a flash of light. Lightning-guy grabbed her legs, hands crackling with static. _Oh SH*T._

Now the thing about static electricity is the common misconception that it has lower voltage than a normal electrical outlet. Static electricity has a high voltage of around 20,000 to 25,000 volts, while an outlet has only 100 volts. So is it less dangerous than sticking a fork in a toaster? The charged electrons in static electricity have low electrical charge, as compared to an outlet which has unlimited charge. Therefore a static shock will only run through you briefly, whereas an electrical outlet will shock you for an indefinite amount of time.

Only this guy's manipulation ability allowed him to generate static indefinitely. Big problem. And Kyu never received any electricity training from Feitan either. Kyu closed her eyes and braced herself.

The moment his hand-made contact, Kyu's synapses went into overload. Her body went completely out of control. She couldn't even scream.

After what felt to her like hours of needles jabbing into her, Kyu became aware of a high-pitched voice talking to her.

"Did you like the taste of that, fox-face? My own home-made brew of static. While you were getting knocked around the room, I charged up my jumper by running fast around you. Shocking, right?"

In reality only a few seconds had passed. Something cold and slimy clasped around her arms and legs, lifting her off the ground and securing her in place. Kyu cracked open an eyelid to stare into the goading face of Water-woman. She had her suspended in globules of water like makeshift manacles. Her mask floated off and landed on the ground with a dull '_clack'._

"Insolent brat. You think you can ignore us?" Water wrapped around her head, sealing off her oxygen supply mid-breath. "You can drown -slowly- to death for all I care."

Kyu forced her eyes open inside the sphere of water. Where the hell was Feitan? A few pieces of rock were nothing to him. She'd seen him slice through metal more than once by applying Shu on his sword. Like she thought, the rock prison was sliced in half, it's prisoner nowhere in sight. Oh wait. He was standing in a corner with his arms crossed, looking amused.

_That asshole... did he really just watch the Elementals beat me up without doing anything? F**k you Feitan._

_Focus on the task at hand. We will die in approximately 7 minutes if no action is taken to escape._

_7 minutes is plenty for me to regain my stren- GYAHHH! He shocked me again! SERIOUSLY?!_

_Nuuu you're being used as a punching bag! So rude!_

_Time reduced to 2 minutes._

_FUUUUUUUUU!_

_Kehe~ My turn!_

The child's head drops forward, the last vestiges of oxygen escaping from her bleeding lips. Water-woman releases her Hatsu, allowing the corpse to drop to the ground. Only it wasn't a corpse.

Purple aura enveloped the child's body, three long aura protrusions emerging from her back. Before any of the Elementals could react, the Fire twin impaled by one of the aura tails. It quickly ripped back out of his body, sending blood and intestines flying onto the face of his twin.

Lightning-guy and Air-dude jumped back, dodging the other two tails aimed at their torsos while the woman froze on the spot. Like literally froze. She used the water to form a frozen shell around herself like a shield. Kyu giggles. How fragile the little ice barrier looks. She wraps a tail around it and squeezes the ice hard. _Crack. _The whole thing comes apart in thousands of tiny shards, some of which dug into the flesh of Water-woman as Kyu crushes her waist.

"Unhand her, demon!" Kyu whirled around, eyes glinting maliciously. It was the first time she'd heard the old man speak or show any emotion. Before she could leap at him, an invisible tendril sliced past her cheek to draw a thin line of blood. Followed by another. And another. Dozens of air whips sliced shallow cuts through her skin and clothes. A mere distraction.

The dim yellow light reflected off her wide grin as she turned to face her ambushers. One giant Nen claw brought an end to the annoying shocks. Another crushed the remaining twin into the stone. White robes flashed as one of the last two members tried to catch her by surprise. Two giant wind serpents materialied out thin air and slid straight towards the girl. Right before they reached her, they dissipated back into the air, their creator standing with a look of surprise.

_Thump. _His head rolled off his shoulders by a cut so clean no blood flowed from the wound for another few seconds. The Chinese man finally made a move, if only to secure a kill for himself. _Now all that's left is the-_

The purple beast dives at him with no warning as the raven haired man curses. The crazed expression he doesn't mind much, but he hates how she couldn't control her split personality whenever it surfaces. He hates how damned strong it was, and how it takes out any moving thing around it like a playful big cat- a big violent cat. And most of all he hates how it chose to attack him _every single time. _Without fail. However... there was one way to forcefully put the sensible Kyu back into the driver's seat if the sensible Kyu was willing.

Feitan readjusts his grip on his blade, then quickly slams the handle into the side of her head on the exact spot she sustained a Nen injury years ago. The effect is instantaneous. The purple aura evaporates and-

Kyu groans and falls face-first onto the ground. Turns out the only thing holding her up was Crazy's Hatsu, like a giant set of muscles in which she was the skeleton. Her body was entirely numbed by too much static. Kyu groaned again. She couldn't even move her jaw to form words.

Feitan snickered at the pitiful heap on the ground and swiped out his phone for a few photos for blackmail later. He was about to toss the limp girl over his shoulder when another low groan caught his attention. _So slut is still alive... makes my life easier._

The majority of the woman's organs crushed into a sloppy mush, courtesy of Kyu. All that was left for her to do was stare at the ceiling while she bled out from the inside. Apparently she still had enough strength to scream when the heel of a black boot crunched on her fingers. Through the red haze of pain and tears she made out a dark object hovering over her face.

"Slut. Where is Lokiel? Tell now. Death come quick."

Damn it all! All she wanted was to live a life free of prostitution, maybe with the occasional glass of high-class wine. She didn't want to die like this in a dank cellar somewhere in a rundown part of town. Tears of regret streamed down her face. Stupid Lokiel. Why did she ever associate with him? Why did she ever agree to work with these sweaty men who invited her into their group with their eyes halfway down her breasts?

Sobs escaped from her broken body. "Life is so unfair..."

"Unfair?" Feitan cackled in that raspy voice of his. "You complain unfair? You have no right." His thoughts went to the girl lying behind him. She never complained a word, not ever. "Now tell where Lokiel."

The sobs became more stressed. "Fuck... you..."

He shrugged. Lokiel wouldn't be hard to track down later. He had no use for the slut.

Feitan lifted his foot again. The last Elemental's life ended quickly as her forehead caved in.

* * *

Kyu opened her eyes and squinted in the dim morning light. The last thing she remembered was hearing a scream and then- here she was, lying down on bumpy ground. Kyu frowned. It wasn't like her to black out after she switched back with Crazy. Maybe it was the electric torture. She felt a little frost on her face and fingers, but other than that she had full control over her body again. She turned her head to the side, rocks digging into her cheek.

Sure enough, Feitan sat on a crumbling wall, absent mindedly polishing his sword.

"[Mornin'.]" Kyu's voice came out like a croak.

"[Good morning.]"

"..." She was tired. Another hour of sleep began to seem like a very good idea. Her eyelids drooped and-

"OW!" A rounded pebble hit her head like a bullet. Kyu craned her neck to glare at her companion, who was still innocently polishing his sword.

"[...Feitan-]"

"[If you have the strength to whine, then cook some food to make up for all the meals I missed while you slept like a little baby.]"

"[...Jeez you're so... needy.]" Kyu hopped up to shake herself clean of any dust or morning dew. "[Breakfast will be ready in 10 minutes, your Majesty.]"

The girl mocked a bow, then quickly jumped into a portal to dodge the pebbles being flung her way. Joyful peals of laughter echoed in the ruined building as she made her leave.

* * *

10 minutes later, Kyu returned with two steaming plates of waffles in maple syrup and butter. She placed them on a flat slab of stone before ducking back into a portal and coming out with another two plates- this time with a slice of chocolate cake on each.

Feitan raised a skeptical eyebrow. "[You never make sweet foods.]"

"[I didn't make these. Local stores provided these for me. And no, I didn't steal it.]"

"[...Cake? For breakfast?]"

Kyu sat down and handed him a fork. "[Meh. A thank you present for taking care of the old guy from yesterday. The other side of me might not care, but I do. So thanks for that as well as carrying me out of that cellar. Today's a special day...]"

The man watched the girl with suspicion, fork poking the cherry topping his cake. Kyu sighed and popped a piece of the rich chocolate cake into her mouth, savouring the sweet taste knowing full well how sick she would feel later. She looked down at the cake, sad smile on her face. Yes, it was a special day. If she closed her eyes she could still see the flickering flames, the colourful decorations. A song, a candle, a wish.

Hei Fong opened her eyes to take in the sight in front of her. A man wearing a frown on his face, jabbing at the cake with the unfamiliar tool. Slabs of stone as a makeshift table, atop an underground chamber lined with corpses. This was her life now. But just for today, she would remember.

Today was a special day.

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	20. Chapter 20

**********I DO NOT OWN HUNTER X HUNTER OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS. THAT BELONGS TO NO-LONGER-ON-HIATUS-TOGASHI. HOWEVER KYU DOES BELONG TO ME SO DON'T USE HER WITHOUT MY PERMISSION.**

**I hope you guys don't mind me adding an extra condition on a certain character's ability. Just so the story works.  
**

******************************A note before you start reading, all dialogue that looks like "[This stuff inside here with the weird brackets]" is spoken in Chinese. _Italics _are for thoughts.**

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"..."

Kyu wondered for the fifth time in 15 seconds what she was doing sitting in broad daylight outside a cafe with a grumpy emo dressed in black. The child looked over at Feitan and raised an eyebrow.

* * *

_Earlier..._

* * *

A fist connected with her left breastbone, leaving a new bruise amoung the others on her chest. Like usual, she was completely outclassed in their sparring sessions. Every time she thought she'd improved enough to catch up with Feitan, the man increased his speed to a point where she was beginning to doubt whether she was improving at all.

Another cut, this time just under her eye. Seriously, these 'sparring sessions' weren't so much as training sessions as they were 'one-sided beating up sessions'. She grit her teeth as the next punch headed towards her abdomen and tensed up. Right when it was about land, his fist briefly disappeared then reappeared into a sharp uppercut. Kyu barely avoided biting her own tongue off. The force behind the punch was enough to lift her off the ground. She'd redirected most of her aura to her abdomen, leaving her jaw with less than 20%. Kyu fell on the grass in a mass of disorientated black hair. Feitan stood above her and landed a good kick.

"[Don't be so gullible. Always be wary of feints and be able to reconfigure your Ryu at moment's notice. Also, your au- mana is too weak.]"

He kicked her again. "[Now hold Ren for the next 3 hours. Falter and I will punish you.]"

Kyu went into Ren without hesitation, not even bothering to move into a more comfortable position. Satisfied, the short thief turned away and reached for his phone. He squinted at the screen.

**One missed call.**

**One new message.**

Feitan opened his mailbox.

**Meet me at Starbucks in an hour. We're in the same town. Bring your companion if you can. -Kuroro**

The man burst into cold sweat. How did he know? And for how long? Feitan shook his head. It didn't matter. The most important questions was-

What did he want with the girl?

Feitan clenched his jaw and checked the message details.

**Time received: 8:34**

It was 9:20 now, leaving him with less than 15 minutes to meet at the rendezvous.

"[Get up. We're leaving.]"**  
**

* * *

Feitan sat rigidly in his seat. Kyu, however, was unaware of the situation and kept fidgeting with the menu. Her mind spun like a carousel as she tried to interpret his unusual behaviour.

_Why are we at a café, of all places? We don't even drink coffee._

_And Feitan actually looks uncomfortable. More uncomfortable than the time you jumped buck naked into a hot spring we came across._

_Who caaaares? I certainly don't. Revealing a bit of skin never hurt anyone. But the shade of red Feitan turned into was pretty funny._

_Woah... is he... sweating?_

_Holy shit he's sweating!_

Wide-eyed, Kyu stared at him in all his discomfort. The urge to snap a few quick photos was overwhelming. The urge to lose several fingers was less so. And so she did the one thing she could do.

Staring competition.

...

...

...

What happened in the next few seconds could be summarised as follows:

Kyu felt a hand on her shoulder and freaked the f*ck out. She then proceeded to fall out of her chair, taking the person behind Kyu along with her. The girl's legs tangled around the table and took that down as well. Feitan, whose legs were also curled around the table, struggled to disentangle himself from the whirlwind of table and flailing limbs. The waiter, who just so happened to have arrived with Kyu's hot tea, tripped on the legs of Feitan's chair. With a loud _crack_ the cup shattered behind Feitan's head, knocking his already precarious balance out of existence.

End result? A tall young man wearing bandages on his head sat on his butt in surprise with the girl's head wedged in the area between his legs- namely, his crotch. Feitan felt too horrified to be thankful she hadn't landed face-down.

Kyu blinked up at pair of grey eyes. "...Uh?"

Kuroro blinked back, the introduction he prepared earlier out of mind like a gust of wind. "Hello...?"

* * *

Feitan wiped his tea soaked hair with a dry towel Kyu fetched for him. They sat at a table in front of a different café, having been shooed away by the previous café owner for causing an uproar. Kuroro sat across from Kyu, bright smile on his face. Behind the façade, he was desperately trying to forget the incident which just took place. Kyu mimicked his actions and tried to do the same. Landing on someone's crotch hardly counted as a decent greeting. Feitan just hoped for both his and Kyu's sake there were no other Spiders in the immediate vicinity.

"I'm terribly sorry regarding the accident earlier. I wasn't aware I would cause such a mess by touching your shoulder. My sincere apologies."

Kyu blushed lightly. "No, I overreacted. I'm Kyu, by the way."

"Ah. What a unique name. But then we are always surrounded by unique people, are we not? I go by the name of Kuroro."

Church bells tolled in the distance.

"So..." Kyu began, the man's warm smile urging her to continue, "I presume you're another one of Feitan's friends?"

"Yes, you could say. Our relationship is better described as 'colleagues', but 'friends' works for me. And you would be...?"

"Uh..." Dark pupils tilted skywards as the girl tried to think of a proper way to describe herself. "I suppose... I'm a friend as well?" Feitan glared. "But sometimes I feel like his pet dog or something." Another glare. "There are instances where I help him out though. So maybe 'assistant' would be the best way to put it." Feitan shrugged and looked away. Good enough.

Kuroro nodded, and delicately sipped his coffee. Kyu tilted her head. "Are you magic?"

Splutter. "I beg your pardon?" Feitan mentally face-palmed. Maybe he should just save himself the embarrassment and slay the girl on the spot.

"You know. Magic. Ren, Ten, Zetsu, Hatsu and stuff."

The Spider's head set down his cup and smiled as he understood. He spared Feitan a glance before answering. "I do."

"Cool!"

_Now to ask about her ability..._

"Check this out!" She pointed at the surface of the table. "Can you please lift your coffee?" Kuroro complied.

"...This is my Hatsu." Kuroro frowned. The girl wasn't doing anything apart from sitting with her arms crossed. He looked back at the table. Nothing seemed out of place. _Hm... _The Spider layered his eyes with Gyo. Suddenly, he could see a mop of black hair on- no, in the table. Or was it reflecting off the table? He turned to Kyu, hoping she would elaborate.

The girl grinned and stuck her arm through the tabletop, which in reality was her portal. Kuroro watched in fascination as her hand groped Feitan's head. Kyu removed her hand when Feitan narrowed his eyes and hissed at her. More in a desperate attempt to stop her from revealing her secrets than in annoyance. Kyu misinterpreted his hiss for irritation, then started explaining her ability to Kuroro.

When she was done, Kuroro sat back and contemplated what he heard. "So your ability is a Specialisation type teleportation... it allows you to open a 'gateway' of sorts that connects between two places... and you must have seen the place with your own eyes from no more than 25 metres away, correct?"

"Meh. More or less. Also, if a solid object is caught between the gate when it closes, it gets sliced cleanly in half. Oh, and the edges are solid from the inside. Also the portal won't come into effect if the object doesn't fit completely inside the effective space. But I gotta say, the most annoying weakness is that I'm forced into Zetsu if I open more than one portal. Not sure why."

The Spider thought for a while. "Would you like to see my ability?" He asked. Feitan sat a little straighter. Was Kuroro...?

"Is it ok if I do? Feitan always says people prefer to keep their abilities a secret."

"No no, it's fine. Really. It's only fair since you shared yours with me." He held out his and a reddish-black book materialised. "Here, take a look."

Kyu looked at Kuroro, then the book, then at Feitan, then back at the Kuroro. Apart from Feitan's discomfort, she could see no reason not to indulge in her curiosity. Kuroro was charming and charismatic. Kyu felt no intent from the well-dressed man. She ran her hand over the cover, fingers sliding over the white handprint. "Bandit's Secret..." She squinted and read. Kuroro allowed a small smile to blossom on his lips. The conditions were fulfilled. Her ability was his to keep.

Kyu flipped through the pages. "You profiled a lot of people in this book. Nice. Is it like some sort of memo?"

He tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Well... you could say that."

She closed the book and returned it to its owner. "Pretty neat. I'm guessing you need to fulfill some conditions before each person's information is recorded?"

_She's sharp. But not sharp enough. _Kuroro nodded.

"It's been fun. But I need to prepare lunch before Feitan throws a tantrum. Seeya!" Kuroro's eyes widened in surprise as he watched her vanish into another portal. Why hadn't his Skill Hunter activated? Where did he go wrong? Feitan saw the distress in his Dancho's eyes and relaxed in relief. Although he was slightly confused as well. He watched her fulfill each and every condition for Kuroro's ability to take effect. She'd explained her ability in depth, showed it to him then touched the handprint. So what was it...?

Kuroro eyed his rapidly cooling coffee. Was it because she didn't mention the name of her ability? No, that couldn't be. There were several cases where he stole the ability from Nen users without knowing the name of the ability. So then... _Her ability... I saw it myself. It also made sense when she explained it. _He looked at Feitan. _If she did lie then F__eitan would have reacted in some way. But he didn't. Which means..._

* * *

_"I'm Kyu, by the way."  
_

_"What a unique name..."_

* * *

Kuroro sat up. Her name. While it didn't need to be their real name, the victim did need to believe it was their real name.

"Feitan." He said.

"?"

"What is that child's name?"

"Girl name Kyu. She no lie."

"Hm." Strange. So that really was her name. Feitan would never lie, not intentionally. Kuroro stood up and vanished, Feitan vanishing a second later. Together they scanned the city below from the rooftops.

Kuroro turned to his right hand man. "Feitan. Bring this girl to the next mission in March. Can I trust you to notify the other members of troupe?"

Feitan nodded.

"Scatter."

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**A bit of a short chapter, I'm a bit busy with art right now. I'm going to focus on Nine- Meddler after I finish the next chapter of Reminisce, so go check it out if you have the time :D  
**


	21. Chapter 21

**********I DO NOT OWN HUNTER X HUNTER OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS. THAT BELONGS TO NO-LONGER-ON-HIATUS-TOGASHI. HOWEVER KYU DOES BELONG TO ME SO DON'T USE HER WITHOUT MY PERMISSION.**

**Derp. That's how I start every story in my doc manager.  
**

******************************A note before you start reading, all dialogue that looks like "[This stuff inside here with the weird brackets]" is spoken in Chinese. _Italics _are for thoughts.**

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Light illuminated the room from a single, high window, a long shadow cast by the room's only occupant. The girl held the sharp edge of a knife to her finger and gulped. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all. Maybe she should experiment a few more times with cuts and grazes and-

No. If she chickened out now, she'd never get the results. Kyu lined up the knife along her knuckled and gulped again. She didn't fancy living out the rest of her life with one less finger. But she was really curious about whether or not it would work. Decisions, decisions. Then the girl felt a shift her surroundings.

"[Hi Feitan. Back already?]"

The Chinese man remained silent as he approached. There was nothing comfortable to sit on, unless you counted the marred surface of the torture table. Everything else was either too fragile or pointy to use as a chair, therefore Feitan preferred to stand in his torture dungeon. He peered over Kyu's shoulder and smirked. Kyu noted his new outfit and held back a rude comment regarding how much it resembled a saggy black dress. And how it added to his feminine attributes.

"[Playing the knife game by yourself?]"

Kyu smiled. "[Nope. Testing something out.]"

Feitan nonchalantly waved his hand and said, "[Do what you wish.]" By now, he had grown accustomed to her 'experiments' she liked to run on pretty much everything she could lay her hands on for the sake of satisfying her boundless curiosity. The man figured she'd get to her own body sooner or later. He had to, however, raise an eyebrow when she made no move for many a minute.

"[Girl, unless your experiment entails studying the reflection of your knuckles off a blade then we have other things to do.]"

"[Y-yeah sorry. I'm just...]"

"?"

"[Uh...]"

"[I haven't all day, brat.]"

The girl threw up her hands in exasperation, knife glinting dangerously. She then shoved the knife at Feitan. "[Ugh! Screw this! Feitan, mind cutting off a finger?]"

Feitan studied her face. "[...If you're referring to your own, then I would happily oblige.]" Metal flashed.

"[OW! Jesus Feitan! I said finger, singular!]" She clutched at her bleeding right hand, on which fingers from index to ring were missing.

The torturer smirked at her in amusement. "[You act as if it's your first time feeling pain. Pathetic little child.]" He tossed the

"[Says the guy cutting fingers off 'pathetic little children' in the first place...]" she grumbled, catching the detached digits with her right hand- wait. Right hand? Feitan narrowed his eyes. One, two, three, four and thumb... As well as the extra three fingers in her hand. Seven fingers. Feitan wrenched her hand towards with by the wrist. He grabbed each of her fingers with such ferocity the girl yelped in pain.

"[FEITAN STOP! They're real! You're gonna tear my hand apart!]"

"[...Girl. Explain.]"

Kyu sighed. "[Remember that new ability I told you about, the one I've been developing over the past year or so? Well, this is it. What it does is-]"

"[Save it for later. We must be leaving now.]"

Kyu shrugged. Her new ability was pretty cool (in her own opinion) but the explanation could wait if Feitan needed to attend to his business. Then Feitan's words reached her brain. All of them.

_Hm? Did he say 'we'?_

_So he's not going on a business trip? Or is he actually taking us with him? _

_HOLY SH*T HE'S BRINGING US ON 'BUSINESS'!_

_Omigosh like finally! *Cheers*_

_...Wow. When did I get so damn immature._

By the time Kyu got over her shock Feitan was already at the door, scowling. "[Do not make me wait, girl. My patience is thin, like the skin connecting your neck and head will be if you do not hurry.]"

"[I'm coming!]"

* * *

Kyu trailed behind Feitan, hugging the sleeves of her jacket.

"[Sooo...]"

Silence.

"[...Uh... I never thought you worked as a demolitions expert,]" said Kyu as she stepped over rubble, rubble and more rubble. The only thing that didn't look like rubble in this god-forsaken place was the rundown warehouse they were approaching.

"[So like, do you have work buddies? Colleagues?]"

"..."

"[No need to get shy, come on, tell me Feitan~]"

"..."

"[Ne~ Feitan, don't ignore me~]"

"..."

"[Fei~tan~]"

"[Brat. Shut the f**k up before I run my sword through your vocal cords.]"

"... :( "

The feeling of being excitedly bored is a strange sensation, which can be likened to eating fried ice-cream or eating spicy mints. And it was driving Kyu insane. Feitan refused to answer any of her questions (which in itself was unusual) and he'd also threatened to slit her throat if she kept talking. Kyu wondered whether a slit throat could even kill her now. It had yet to be tested.

Which was why the urge to annoy her bad-tempered companion was stronger than ever. As the girl opened her mouth to speak, Feitan turned around and sent her a glare. A glare promising pain and suffering if any sound escaped from her. Kyu immediately clasped her jaws together and settled with sulking. She was still sulking when they entered the abandoned warehouse.

...

Nine pairs of eyes targeted the child as she froze on the spot, mouth agape in a small 'o'. She recognised only one out of the nine pairs; the others were alien to her. Feitan paused at her side, acting casual. Because Kuroro was dressed differently (mainly because he had no bandages around his head) Kyu failed to recognise who he was. Memorising human faces was never her forte.

Taking a look at the strangers, she saw a pink-haired hipster woman, some dude who seemed to have popped out of a horror novel, a man overdosed on steroids, a lady who's shirt clearly defined her lack of a bra, a gothic emo sitting in the corner, and a man that could only be described as a samurai. Lastly, her eyes fell on a fairly normal looking blonde boy, maybe the closest in terms of age with herself. She like his cheerful smile. Mostly because everyone else in the room was giving her an ice cold stare.

Kyu leaned over to Feitan and whispered, "[...Not to be rude or anything, but... I thought you'd do something more... interesting than work at a circus...]" Had she payed any attention to Kuroro at that moment, she'd have noticed his fine black eyebrow twitch. But she was too busy enjoying Phinks' look of bewilderment to see Kuroro. Plus, Kyu didn't realise who he was until he spoke up.

"Hello, Kyu."

Black eyes met grey eyes as Kyu instantly remembered who he was and their... well, she wasn't too keen on remembering their first meeting. She took a whiff- Sweat (yuck), deodorant, perfume, blood(?), dust, gunpowder (?!) and... yup, it was Kuroro all right.

_Kinda like liquorice... but at the same time not. Hmm... how should I describe Kuroro-san's scent?_

_One word- mysterious._

_Oh! That's not bad actually. Though he kinda smells like opium too..._

Sharp pain in her ribs. Feitan had elbowed her for taking too long to answer his precious Danchou, as well as for _sniffing _him in front of the rest of the troupe.

Kyu tried to think of something- _anything _to say. The peer pressure was killing her. Not literally. Anyone in the room would have no trouble doing _that. _Sure, she was fine with talking to one or two strangers every day, but truth be told, Kyu was a very shy girl. Maybe 'socially awkward' was a better way to put it. And with 10 people practically glaring at her? Her legs turned to jelly. Along with her brain.

"Ah... um..." A voice in her head sniggered. _Great job. Because saying 'hello' in return was sooooo hard. You suck so hard._

_*whimper*_

_...Wow. Not even the usual 'shut up'? Maybe you should let one of us take control. At least we're not pussies. Oi Void, you do it._

Suddenly, the girl stopped shaking and looked at the Spider's Head straight in the eye. Her words were spoken in an impassive monotone.

"I believe we've met before, Kuroro-san." Then she turned and nodded at each spider. "But for those of you whom I have not, my name is Kyu." If Kuroro was surprised by her abrupt change in personality, it didn't show. Feitan had seen this side of the girl before, so he wasn't too surprised either.

The samurai spoke up. "Who's this pipsqueak, Feitan?"

"Assistant."

_I'm his assistant? Kewl._

_Shh... trying to concentrate on the conversation._

Now it was the Frankenstein-look-alike's turn to ask, "Danchou, is she a new member?"

"Is she?" Kuroro mused, "Let us decide."

_He wants us to prove our worth. At what though? Juggling? Tight-rope walking?_

_I dunno. Something Circus-y...?_

_Hehe~ I can show them my 'talents' if you'd wish~_

_O'hell no. _

_Seriously guys, he's asking me to demonstrate my Magic. How dim-witted can you guys get?_

_You keep referring to us as separate entities, so I'd say yes, you're very dull._

Kyu lifted an arm and pointed at the air. The blonde boy, who thought she was pointing at him, looked confused.

"This is my ability. I can create a gate- or portal- from one place to another. One end of the gateway has limited range, while the other can reach any non-solid location I've previously seen in person, again with a limited range."

She gestured again at the space in front of her, and suddenly everyone could see a circular patch of sand in the air, as if they were staring through the television. Kyu continued her explanation.

"No sound, liquid, gas or atmospheric condition such as heat can pass through the gateway, neither can any Magically created object slash Mana. People, solid objects and Mana attached to a person are able to." The spiders, with the exception of Kuroro and Feitan, were puzzled. _Magic? Mana?_

"When I close the gateway, anything caught between the two spaces will be crushed, or sliced cleanly if it is dense enough." The portal closed on cue. "There are some other minor conditions, but these are the main points."

The big guy was impressed. "So basically you can teleport places. Sounds pretty rad."

The other spiders looked to Kuroro for his judgement. Kuroro himself had already made the decision to recruit the girl from the moment he was unable to steal her ability. Her ability was useful, he had to admit. And it was an ability he wanted in his tactical arsenal, stolen or not. He'd been testing her honesty when he asked for a second explanation, but it seemed Kyu hadn't lied the first time she'd explained.

_It must be her name. It's false. I can find her true name later, but for now..._

" 'Scuse me, but you guys seem a bit small for a Circus..." The original Kyu had gotten back in control, and blabbered the first thing that came to mind.

All 10 members froze. In the short span of a second, Kyu had managed to insult the majority of the Genei Ryodan.

...

...

"WHAT?!"

"YOU WANNA DIE KID?!"

Kyu paled. "I- I take it back. 10's not s-small for a Circus if you think about it..." Her voice died to a whimper as the samurai started to draw his sword. Wrong move. The girl shut her trap, not wanting to anger the 'circus' any more.

"We're not a circus, Kyu." The effort Kuroro put into keeping his voice level was amazing. "We are the Genei Ryodan. A band of thieves... not _performers._" Despite his best efforts, the annoyance on the word 'performers' rang out clearly in the cold stone walls. Kyu realised her mistake too late. Every spider was practically seething.

But it was Feitan who jutted in to save the day. "Girl. Show other ability."

_Other ability? _The troupe thought simultaneously. Kyu gave the man a nervous glance. He turned away, his part done.

_*Gulp.* I haven't exactly tested it out on other people... Well, it'd better work or I am screwed to the deep end._

"Uh... can I get a volunteer please? It's easier to explain this way."

The samurai lost his cool. "WE'RE NOT A CIRCUS YOU # $*%!"

Well. He was out of the pick. Kyu scanned the troupe for someone friendlier. There were only 3 she was acquainted with, and Kuroro was out of the question. Feitan... she had something else she wanted of him. So that left her with one option. "Phinks? Can you lend me a hand?" All eyes laid on Phinks. He shrugged. In the 2 years he'd known the girl, she'd earned his trust. Phinks hopped down from the stairs and walked up to the girl. "What do you want?"

"Hand please." He held out his arm, slightly dubious. Kyu laid her fingers gently on the back of his hand.

"I'd prefer you agree to these next two questions." Phinks nodded. "Ok, here we go." Kyu took a deep breath. "Phinks, promise you will treat me as an ally."

The man watched her questioningly, but answered nonetheless, "Sure. I promise."

"If you break your promise the penalty will be death. Is that fine?"

Phinks' eyes widened. _Death? Is she threatening me? Hmph. I'll go along with her 'penality'. But if anything bad happens... _"Yes."

Kyu withdrew her hand. The spiders watched in anticipation, expecting something to happen. Phinks studied his hand for anything out of the ordinary. He felt no different either. _How anticlimactic..._

Now the girl held a knife. "Um, Phinks? Mind if I cut you?"

_OF COURSE I MIND! _Is what he wanted to scream at her. But instead he just said, "Yeah. Sure."

After checking the reaction's of Kuroro and co. , she made a thin cut on the man's forearm, since he was wearing a sleeveless blue top. Then she placed her hand on him once again. Phinks felt a rush of aura pour into his body where her hand maintained contact, and watched in awe as the cut healed in an instant. He drew his arm back and flexed it. Yup, the cut was gone.

"This is my second ability. I developed it after I spent a year or so studying human anatomy. It uses the basic principles of conjuration, enhancement and transmutation. The promise and penalty I asked Phinks to take acts as a vow to amplify the power of my ability. The more severe the penalty, the more effective and faster the healing. It requires contact with the body itself to work, touching clothes won't do."

Samurai, having been calmed down by his friend, was still quite skeptical of the newcomer. "You can heal cuts. Big deal. We have something called bandages."

Kyu simply smiled. "Watch." She unzipped her jacket and discarded the black garment several metres knife glinted in the light as she held it high-

-and sheared through her own shoulder.

The pain was intense. Kyu struggled to keep the smile on her face as blood poured from the stump where her left arm was once attached. She waited patiently as her arm regenerated, cell by cell, until she could flex her new fingers and grin at Samurai.

_Ah crap. There goes a good shirt._

_Shh... don't ruin my moment of glory._

_Dude. What are you going to do with that spare arm on the ground?_

_Uh..._

"Would you like to become a leg of the spider, Kyu?"

Once again, everyone turned to watch her reaction. Feeling the beginnings of a tremble in her legs, the aforementioned girl gulped. Just what was she getting herself into? Some sort of cult?

She hesitated. Feitan had his eyes on her, expecting only one answer. So did the rest of the troupe.

"...I'm not sure." A low growl from one of the members encouraged her to continue with haste. "-but, I'd gladly help with anything you need. Like Feitan said, I'm his assistant. And I'll do what he wants -which is probably what the troupe wants- even if I'm not part of your group."

"So you're saying you are willing to assist us?"

_Do I even have a choice? _"Yes. I can feel the strength of each person in this room. And I can safely say I'm completely out of your league. So wouldn't it be wiser for you reserve positions for stronger individuals?"

Kuroro nodded thoughtfully. She had a point... He waited for her to continue.

"So if anyone is willing, I can apply my ability on them. My requested promise will be the same as the one I used on Phinks. You can choose your own penalty as long as you keep in mind it will affect the potency of my ability."

The leader of the troupe smiled. _She's cunning. If we agree to her terms, then it would be equivalent to accepting her. Although... _"Regarding your ability, will the penalty incur the moment the promise is broken?"

"Nope. I wasn't able to create such a condition, but if the promise is broken, then a 'Watcher' will be summoned. The Watcher's basic function is to prevent me from channeling my mana inside the specific person. It disappears when the penalty is carried out, and when that happens a new promise-penalty contract will need to be formed if my power is to work. And yes, when setting the contract I must use the words 'promise' and 'penalty', and I must receive a verbal answer. If you're wondering if there is any consequence to disagreeing to the proposed promise or penalty, there is none."

_In the end, she has no hold over us, no threat. Interesting. Just what is she trying to do? _"Very well. Please use your power on me."

Kyu passed between each spider to get to Kuroro, who sat at the back of the warehouse. For each person she passed, she received a glare, with the exception of the blonde boy, who maintained his cheerful expression. The tension in the air was palpable.

Kuroro extended his right arm, palm up. Warmth spread on the girl's fingertips on the points she touched his palm. _He's so warm... unlike Feitan, who has cold hands and _not _a warm heart. _

"Kuroro-san, do you promise to treat me like an ally?"

"Yes."

Kyu paused. "What would you like as the penalty?"

"Death." He had guts, she had to give him that.

"Ok. The penalty will be death if you fail to keep your promise. Is that fine?"

"Yes."

Kyu faced the other members. "Anyone else?"

Silence.

"...Well. Come to me if you change your mind." The girl sighed. Why did she always get off on the wrong foot with whoever she met?

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	22. Chapter 22

**********I DO NOT OWN HUNTER X HUNTER OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS. THAT BELONGS TO NO-LONGER-ON-HIATUS-TOGASHI. HOWEVER KYU DOES BELONG TO ME SO DON'T USE HER WITHOUT MY PERMISSION.**

**********ALL OF THE CRACK! Tried to incorporate all of the characters. Tried.  
**

**Warning: if you're weak-hearted, don't read the whole page. (Only if you're really scared of blood and stuff though ._.)  
**

******************************A note before you start reading, all dialogue that looks like "[This stuff inside here with the weird brackets]" is spoken in Chinese. _Italics _are for thoughts and sound effects.**

******************************XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Bored. That's what Kyu felt as Kuroro briefed the Genei Ryodan about their next mission. Bored. She watched as handsome man pointed at the map behind him, studying his smooth movements and the captivating body language he used to engage his audience. He was the leader of the troupe, the firefly shining bright in the midst of these cold-blooded reptiles, something beautiful but untouchable.

"According to various sources, this particular clan resides in the Lukso province."

Kyu stiffed a yawn. Now that all the attention in the room was directed at Kuroro, she couldn't even talk to Feitan. _Yeesh,_ she thought, _these guys really do act like a cult. A Kuroro-san loving cult. The two women are practically swooning over him.  
_

"Shalnark, Phinks, Feitan. You three are assigned to gathering information from the residents of Norshire town."

_So his name is Shalnark, eh? _The girl propped her head on the railings. She gazed at the ceiling, counting the cracks in the concrete._ Aw. I don't get to go with Feitan or Phinks. This sucks... I don't even get to meet the blondie..._

"Franklin, Machi, Pakunoda." Head to Regik city, 10 kilometres south of Norshire, and gather information there. The three named persons nodded.

_Man... I'm real hungry too. Don't these guys each lunch? No wonder Feitan demands I cook for him as soon he returns from 'business'._

_Quit whinin' and sighin'. The silver-haired goth is starin'._

"Nobunaga, Uvogin. Search the eastern forest from here to-" he gestured on the map, "-here."

_Don't you think it would have been more fun to join a circus? I've always wanted to join a circus~_

"And finally, Omokage, Kyu and I will search the west forest." Kyu perked her ears at the sound of her name. "That is all. We will commence the search at first light tomorrow, so spend tonight preparing. Contact the rest of us if you find anything."

* * *

Night fell on the ruins. Each member of the Ryodan sat in groups of two or three, engaging in quiet conversation or practicing their own hobbies. Only Kuroro and Omokage sat alone. The samurai- Nobunaga, Kyu thought he was called- sat together with Uvogin and Shalnark against the right wall. The two older men battled it out at arm wrestling while the blonde- Shalnark- tapped furiously at an evil looking phone. Kyu herself sat with her friends Feitan ('friend') and Phinks. The only ones to have taken Kuroro's advice were Machi, Franklin and Pakunoda. They sat in a corner, discussing their plans for the next day.

Much to Feitan's amusement the poor girl had been bored to the point she'd just given up talking altogether and lay face-down on the ground. Every now and then he could hear her grumble an incoherent chain of words then she'd twitch and return to her silent sulking. Phinks was thinking of stealing an Xbox 360 after the mission and argued with the shorter man because they didn't share the same opinion on the games.

"Grand Theft Auto 4 is way better than that shitty first person shooter game you want, Fei. Come on, let's just get GTA."

"Call of Duty good."

"Call of Duty is for no-lifers. You don't even like guns!"

"Call of Duty good." Feitan pressed. "GTA kids game."

Kyu groaned like a zombie. Phinks pointed out how much she sounded like a zombie from Walking Dead. Kyu groaned again.

"What?"

"Mfmph *grumble grumble* finler..."

Phinks leaned closer to hear what she said. "Say what?"

"I SAID CAN I GO MAKE SOME F**KING DINNER?!" She pulled herself up and roared in the man's ear.

Kuroro lowered his book. "Kyu. Mind your language."

"...Sorry Kuroro-san. But seriously, can I go make dinner?"

"There's nothing keeping you here."

The girl pumped her first then turned to her friends. "Shark-fin soup?"

Feitan nodded. The other man replied, "Seafood curry?"

"Sure. Might take a little longer. Seeya!" And with that she disappeared.

* * *

One hour later, Kyu returned with three steaming plates and a pot of soup. She set them down on the floor, ducked back into the portal and emerged with three bowls and spoons. An extra big plate to sate Feitan's big apetite.

"Itadakimasu!" They said, Feitan with a little less enthusiasm than the other two. Kyu filled the bowls with soup and began digging into her own plate of food. Phinks was eating so fast that the girl had to move closer to Feitan in order to avoid the flying pieces of prawn and crab-meat.

_Feitan doesn't give much praise for my cooking, but at least he has table manners..._

_Watch out! Incoming tuna!_

"Damn it Phinks! Be careful!"

"Shuf ub, Aye eaf ow aye wanf."

"I wouldn't have a problem so long as you actually ate the curry instead of sending it everywhere!"

_SLUUURP. _Phinks drank his soup loudly just to piss her off.

"..." _Maturity level of a 5 year old... jeez. Well, at least I'm having fun.  
_

Wonderful smells wafted across the warehouse, waking various sleeping Spiders and drawing the curiosity of others. Nobunaga woke drooling, hastily wiping the incriminating evidence away before anyone could take notice. The samurai had his pride, and wasn't about to let the newcomer win him over with a simple meal. Uvogin, on the other hand, did not. He lumbered over to the merry diners and peered at their food.

"What're you people eatin'?

"Food." muttered Feitan.

"Seafood curry and shark-fin soup, fresh from the sea." Kyu answered quickly before the big man could lose his temper. "Want a bite? I'll go get a bowl and a spoon."

"I'm starvin'! This smells delicious!"

Kyu laughed at the sight of a grown man drooling at the sight of food. "I'll take that as a yes then." She reached inside a portal, opened the cupboard and pulled out the desired objects. Feitan held out his hand.

"?"

"Give bowl."

"But this is-"

"Give."

"...Ok." He snatched it from her hand and filled it to the brim with seafood curry from his humongous plate." Kyu raised an eyebrow at his sudden generosity, then watched as he gave it to one very happy Uvogin.

"Itadakimasu!" The chef waited for his reaction. Uvogin proved to be a surprisingly neat eater, taking care he did not spill any rice. Most importantly, he didn't fill his face like a chipmunk *cough* Phinks *cough*.

"SO GOOD!" At the sound of Uvogin's cheer, Franklin, Shalnark and Omokage arrived to see what the ruckus was about. In truth, they too wanted a taste of Kyu's cooking. They stood quietly to one side until Omokage spoke up.

"Hey, is it ok I join in too? I haven't eaten since yesterday..."

"Me too!" Piped Shalnark. Franklin nodded in agreement. Kyu retrieved another three bowls (which Feitan filled again, much to her surprise).

Meanwhile Kuroro watched over the pages of his book. It amused him to see how easily this girl won over his loyal subordinates with some cartilage, crustaceans, fish and rice. On the other hand Nobunaga was fuming at Uvogin's betrayal. Now _he _was the loner since even Omokage, the doll maker of gods, had joined the rapidly growing group. Nobunaga's eyes bulged when Kuroro his dusty black pants down and headed over the gang. Machi and Pakunoda followed right after.

Which left him well and truly alone.

What did he care? Was he interested in their shenanigans? No. Not remotely. Not in the teeniest tiniest-

"Nobu! You gotta get a taste of this stuff!" a gruff voice shouted.

Eating was for losers, and he wasn't a loser. Wait. Was that Kuroro taking a delicate sip of the Shark-fin soup. Boy, how long has it been since the last time he- No! Nobunaga Hazama ground his teeth together. He wouldn't give in to that stupid brat's manipulation!

"Yeah Nobunaga! Let's eat all of Feitan's curry!" laughed Shalnark as the Chinese man frowned and tried to thwart his stealing attempts with a spoon. "Hah! I got the last prawn!"

Feitan made a mad dash at Shalnark, trying to save his last beloved piece of prawn. They scuffled on the ground, each trying to bite the prawn from the spoon. Kuroro kept sipping his soup and let their fight slide. True, there was no fighting in the troupe. But the dining table was a whole different matter. _Every man for himself, _he smiled, watching Phinks trying to fend off Franklin and Omokage's invading spoons. The two women fought over the ladle in their rush to refill Kuroro's rapidly emptying soup bowl. Kyu and Uvogin were the only ones behaving themselves in this commotion. The big man had manners despite his barbaric attitude. When he finished his meal, he sat back to enjoy the drama with Kyu. Sure he was still hungry, but felt slightly embarrassed about taking food from a child.

"Oi."

Kyu turned around to see a haughty silhouette. Nobunaga finally couldn't resist the fun anymore. The girl smiled knowingly and handed him a bowl. Then she paused. And frowned. "Ah. I'm all out of spoons. Be right back."

As soon as she disappeared, Nobunaga snatched Feitan's spoon and scooped some of the curry from the girl's full plate, into his mouth and-

"NO!" shrieked Feitan in an uncharacteristically high pitched voice when he looked up from his victory. Phinks echoed his cry a second later. Too late.

-chewed. "Hm." Nobunaga ignored the short man's protests and kept chewing. The rest of the troupe had calmed down at this point to see why their interrogator was so stressed out.

"Not bad."

_Gulp. _Feitan and Phinks stared in horror. "Not bad at all. Hey, this is actually- urk!"

Nobunaga fell to the floor foaming at the mouth.

"What the?!"

"Nobu?! Can you hear me?!"

"Shalnark! Call the ambulance!"

Kyu was just as speechless as the rest of them when she returned to the scene; spoon in hand. Then Uvogin hoisted her from the ground by her collar and shook her around, yelling accusations. Feitan facepalmed hard. _This _was exactly what he tried to avoid. He even went as far as to sharing his own food to stop Kyu from poisoning one of his colleagues. For her own meals, the girl often added extra ingredients to her food. Ingredients not suitable for human consumption. He and Phinks had both fallen victim at least once.

"Uvo- uwah!- gin stop- ow- shaking me!" He let her go; the girl went flying into a wall. "Urghh... I feel sick..."

From the corner of her eye she could see the pink-haired hipster giving Nobunaga CPR. Grimacing, Kyu got up and opened a portal to the nearest hospital. "Someone grab him and come with me!"

Phinks hefted the unconscious man on his shoulder and ran through the portal. Everyone else followed after him in a tangle of arms and legs. Kyu exerted some extra strength to get the gateway wider, then stepped through it herself.

* * *

_Five minutes later outside the Emergency Clinic..._

* * *

A girl and nine spiders crowded in a tiny lobby. Franklin was forced to hunch over the rest of the Genei Ryodan. Kuroro and Uvogin were visibly worried for their friend. The rest glared daggers at the bewildered girl.

"You'd better have a good explanation," spat Machi.

Kyu shrank back against her seat. _This lady is scary... _"What- but- ...how?"

"You tell me! Nobunaga fainted after eating your curry!"

Kyu thought, _...Didn't all of you eat some of my curry? _But instead she said, "There was nothing wrong with my curry. Everyone else is fine!"

"...Actually that's not true." Phinks interrupted, "Nobunaga ate a spoonful of the curry _on your plate._"

The girl paled immediately. "Oh shii-"

"Well at least if he dies you'll have to join the troupe..." muttered the hulking giant, so quietly that only Kyu heard because he was standing next to him. _Now I know who his least favourite person is..._

A young doctor marched into the lobby, then froze at the sight of the freak show gathered in the hospital hallway. He realised half a second later these people were waiting for the patient he just treated and not here to mug him. He wiped the sweat off his brow before he broke the good news.

"Your friend is fine now. He should be awake in a few hours, but other than that there's no permanent damage." Uvogin sighed in relief.

The doctor looked at his clipboard then continued in a puzzled tone. "But I need to ask, just how did he ingest so cyanide-high algae and deadly nightshade? Was... was he attempting suicide?"

Kyu turned bright red and couldn't hold the accusing glowers of her peers. "It tastes yummy ok? And I've never had any problems with it..." she mumbled.

"I beg your pardon?"

"N-nothing."

The doctor went back to his clipboard. "The total for his treatment should be 45000 jenny, plus an extra 5000 jenny for arriving on such short notice.

Kuroro nodded. "We'll pay later."

With that the doctor left them alone to talk between themselves. As soon as he left, Kyu started protesting.

"It wasn't my fault he decided to take food from my plate!" She pouted indignantly, waving her arms about in exasperation. "Feitan even tried to stop him,"

Kuroro simply crossed his arms.

Something nudged her arm. Franklin said quietly, "I don't blame you. Nobunaga can be a thick headed idiot sometimes." Kyu wanted to hug his big red sweater right there and then. Instead she just whispered a grateful 'thanks'.

The spider's head sighed, then waved to get the attention of his loyal 'legs'. "Since we're already here, we may as well make use of this opportunity to prepare for tomorrow."

"?" _How are we supposed to prepare in a hospital? _Kyu didn't like his smile.

Ill intent bubbled behind his mask of decency. "We are thieves; we steal. If the hospital asks us to pay- we can't reject their request, can we?"

Phinks cracked his knuckles, grin plastered on his face. Kyu gulped. This wasn't good... _Is it just me, or does the troupe suddenly seem like a gathering of homicidal maniacs more so than ever before?_

_Not just you. I'm getting a bad vibe too..._

_Ah finally! People with a similar mindset! Kehehe~  
_

_No. You- stay down! Down-_

A wide grin lit her grin. Light danced chaotically across her wide eyes as her gaze flitted from place to place. She could barely contain herself. But the fun and games can come later. Right now, she'd keep some control over her actions. After all, this _was _only a warm-up.

_GOD DAMNIT! Ugh. At least it's not trying to rip apart everything in sight. I guess even the most unstable part of me has a bit of self preservation._

_Is that even a good thing?_

Nails clicked on the plastic hospital benches. Hurry, hurry, hurry! Issue the command and let loose the beast! The girl eyed Kuroro hungrily, nails scratching claw marks into the seats. The man returned her gaze, quite satisfied with his prediction. He knew there was more to the girl than she appeared. _Multiple personality disorder... interesting. I'll need to question Feitan later. My theory is she has multiple names for each personality... or maybe not. Hm. But for now..._

"Do what you wish."

* * *

Nobunaga gasped and bolted awake. Gasping for air he said, "I just had a horrible nightmare where some brat poisoned me and then-"

A pair of eyes, so dark the pupils weren't visibly, observed him with curiosity.

"Oh."

"Good morning?"

"...It wasn't a nightmare was it..."

"Heh. I suppose not."

The samurai looked around. He was in the warehouse lying on- a hospital bed?! He noticed he wasn't in his usual attire, and his sword was nowhere to be seen.

"Here." Kyu pulled out his kimono from a portal, freshly washed and scented with lavender. Then she handed him his sword. "They got dirty in the hospital so I cleaned them. ...Sorry for poisoning you. I should have warned you not to eat from my plate. My digestion is... unique."

There were so many questions Nobunaga wanted to ask. Such as why the hell would a kid like her eat poison for dinner, or how he ended up at the hospital and back. He also wanted to know how his clothes got 'dirty' at a hospital. Then he noticed everyone else was wearing different clothes from last night.

Nobunaga eyed the girl suspiciously. "What did I miss?"

* * *

_Screams. A child hugged at his mother, only to find a severed limb still warm in his hands. No time to scream before his head separated from his shoulders. Necks cracking to her left, Phinks having his fun. The roar of a machine gun accompanied by someone screaming "DIE!". A streak of black. Leaving a trail of headless corpses in its wake. Adults, children and elders alike.  
_

_Not one of them spared._

_Walking through a slush of body liquids, pieces of nothing but meat floating around her. The screams stopped. Covered in gore, a demon whose face lined with crevices. Grinning with two sets of canines, it's wild black mane matted with blood. With a start Kyu realised she was staring at a broken mirror, shoes slick with the life essences spilled when her teeth carved through flesh._

_Bile welled up in the back of her throat-  
_

* * *

"Oi, Kyu was it?" The girl snapped back to the present at the sound of her name. Nobunaga looked genuinely concerned. "Don't bother telling me. If you don't want to remember, then don't."

Kyu nodded, still unable to speak. Bitter rust, still lingering on her tongue. At the very least, _that _side of her had been sated by the massacre last night. She wouldn't hear much from it for at least half a day. She looked around the room. She'd seen what they did last night; what they were capable of.

_These people are monsters...__  
_

_They're monsters who know what they are, and accept it. You, on the other hand, can't even face the dark and twisted part of yourself._

_Shut up..._

_We were created to barrier your weak mind. Without us, you would have broken years ago._

_Admit it. You're as f**ked in the head as the rest of these murderers._

_..._

_That's what I thought you pathetic piece of-  
_

"Hey." Nobunaga had finished changing into his old clothes. The man saw her dark expression and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "The Ryodan's ways are... harsh. This is no place for a kid. It's not too late to leave. Go home, go back to your family or something. You're not from that junkyard, are you?"

Kuroro's eyes were on her, she could feel it. But even so, her answer was no different from what it would be without his attention. Kyu straightened her shoulders and lifted her stoic gaze to meet Nobunaga's concerned one.

"I'm not from Ryusegai, no. But even so, there's nothing left for me to return to. Nothing." She couldn't stop her eyes from flitting to Feitan, an action Nobunaga's own sharp eyes did not miss. "And yeah. I may be a kid, but I'll need to grow up some day." Her voice softened. "Thanks, Nobunaga. You're not as heartless as you try to be."

As soon as she finished speaking, Kyu turned tail and ran to Feitan, the man who had started everything. All of a sudden, the samurai felt a wave of pity for the young girl. What was she, eleven? Yet already her life was tangled and twisted side by side with so much death. Nobunaga shook his head. No. It was no use trying to be sympathetic. Sympathy was reserved for the weak, not the brave souls struggling against the flow of fate.

Kuroro smiled to himself. He sensed no more objection from any of the members regarding their new addition. She'd proven herself in more ways than one last night.

* * *

"[Yo Feitan. All ready and set to go?]"

"[Yes. No thanks to you, brat. Learn to takes lives cleanly, preferably with a blade; not like a savage animal,]"

"[Heh. Sorry. Who are we hunting for anyway?]"

"[...You payed no heed to Danchou's mission briefing...]"

"[Nope!]"

Sigh. He was too tired for this. "[The Kurta clan. A clan of people whose eyes burn a passionate red when their emotions peak. We're harvesting their eyes.]"

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**Twist much?**

**And no, Kyu is not officially part of the troupe.**


	23. Chapter 23

**********I DO NOT OWN HUNTER X HUNTER OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS. THAT BELONGS TO NO-LONGER-ON-HIATUS-TOGASHI. HOWEVER KYU DOES BELONG TO ME SO DON'T USE HER WITHOUT MY PERMISSION.**

**So much crack lately. If I wrote any more crack, there'd be police chasing after my butt.  
**

**Hope you guys enjoy it.**

**Please review if you have any ideas, suggestions or complaints!**

******************************A note before you start reading, all dialogue that looks like "[This stuff inside here with the weird brackets]" is spoken in Chinese. _Italics _are for thoughts and sound effects.**

******************************XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Ugh. I need a shower. AGAIN."

Blood matted her hair, jacket and pants. For some reason, whenever her more unstable personality appeared to wreck havoc, it deemed it necessary to absolutely cover itself in the blood of its victims. The spiders who'd been close enough to get splattered last night kept well away from the girl when she ran through the burning village, shredding bodies left and right. Because keeping clean was overrated.

Feitan was digging out eyes from the corpses beside her, smugly smirking at the messy child.

_What an asshole... hehehe... I've got a good idea~!_

"Hey Feitan!" The man turned to her, frowning in disgust.

"What?"

With an enormous grin plastered on her Kyu leaped at him, arms wide open.

"FREE HUGS!"

* * *

Kyu rubbed her cheek until her power finished healing her broken cheekbone. _That was totally worth it! The look on his face when I wrapped my arms around his waist... Pfft ahaha~_

_For once I must agree his reaction was spectacular._

_I gotta say, I haven't seen grumpyguts panic like that- well- ever. Good on ya!_

_*Grumble* But now I have to harvest all the eyes on our own. Eurgh- I don't like the feel of these eyeballs; so squishy and... slimy. No fair! Feitan was supposed to be in charge of eyeball havesting!_

_Mmm~ That silk robe felt nice..._

She dropped yet another pair of eyes into a liquid filled container, then stuck it back through the portal with the other jars. 128 pairs of scarlet eyes to harvest. The smell alone was gut wrenching, coupled with digging her fingers into human skulls made the task extremely unbearable. She turned around a corner to find a few more bodies, freshly tortured; courtesy of her mentor. She bent down and set to work, grabbing another jar from the supply Kuroro had shown her that morning.

Speaking of Kuroro...

"Kuroro-san, whatchu doin' there?"

The spider's head was crouched over the body of the chief, busily scribbling at a piece of paper. When he completed the note, it was left embedded in the corpse's chest by a knife.

"Leaving a message. Infamy doesn't come with ease, Kyu."

"Oh ok."

Three more pairs, done. Kyu passed Machi. The pink-haired woman wielded invisible Nen threads. Currently, she was trussing up the body of a young girl to torment a mother. When Machi felt she had brightened up the woman's eyes enough, she pulled sharpy at a thread and decapitated the crying woman. Kyu shuddered at the female spider's act of cold blood. The girl couldn't have been much older than herself... Kyu's conscience tugged at her heart whenever she saw children murdered. The mask she wore did well for hiding her identiy; and her bubbling string of emotions whenever she saw an innocent kid get killed.

Machi waved her over and raised and eyebrow. "Wasn't Feitan in charge of collecting the goods?"

"Yeah... he was... In the end, he made me do it. Are these guys good to go?"

"Yes. I'll leave it to you then."

" 'Kay."

_Why'd we have to harvest _eyes _of all things? Why not toes godammit. ...Actually I'd rather eyes over toes. I don't wanna go around touching dead people's feet._

_Then shut up and hurry up._

_:(_

After an hour of boring slave labour, Kyu opened a portal to count the pairs of eyes.

"126... 127... 128." Kyu frowned and looked at Kuroro. "Didn't you say there were 129 citizens in this village?"

"Or maybe you just missed one, idiot." Phinks was back from his errand.

"I didn't miss jacksh*t. Ask Feitan, he went back and checked."

She turned expectantly to the short torturer. "I check. 128 bodies."

"In that case... maybe Shalnark was misinformed."

"Shalnark's information is hardly ever wrong. But it is possible."

"Danchou, couldn't one of these Kurta people just be on holiday or something? Maybe they're out of town for a while."

Kuroro shook his head and replied, "No, these people keep to themselves. They hardly ever leave the safety of Shardril forest. Mission complete. Shalnark and Pakunoda will handle the selling and shipping of the eyes, the rest of you are free to leave."

"Sweet!" exclaimed the girl, "Hot bath, here I come!"

The other spiders just nodded and began to head back to town, where they would head their separate ways. As they said their farewells and were about to disappear until the next job turned up. Kyu considered her options. Follow Feitan around, get very bored, or...

The girl turned to the remaining seven spiders. "Hey guys, are you busy?"

Feitan rolled his eyes. He knew she was up to no good again. It didn't take a genius to figure that out.

Phinks, Machi, Nobunaga and Uvogin shrugged. Franklin said he had something to do in another city. Omokage muttered something about 'my dearest sister' then left without another word.

Kyu counted. Six people including Feitan and herself. Perfect.

A grin grew on her face. "Say, have any of you been to a hot spring?"

* * *

Phinks wiped the sweat from his brow and wondered how the hell he'd let the girl convince him- convince all of them- to come to this cruddy place. The place was quiet- most customers preferred to go to the more luxurious spa across the road. So for today, the hot springs were spider-exclusive. The hot spring itself wasn't bad, but sitting opposite to Nobunaga was awkward. And Feitan- why was Feitan taking so frigging long to get ready anyway?

The pharaoh closed his eyes and sank deeper into the water with his rested on the rocks.

* * *

Meanwhile Kyu was washing the blood out of her hair in the women's showers. The owner of the hot springs had surprisingly allowed her to enter after she regained consciousness. The poor old granny had fainted at the sheer amount of body fluids that painted the girl. Business was hard to come by ever since the Spa opened across the road, and the woman wanted to preserve her family's hot springs at any cost. When she was presented with several hundred thousand jenny (Kyu's assassination savings) she agreed to let them in, and was even generous enough to give them access to sauna, games room. She was even so kind as to provide them with a meal and accommodation for the night.

Hot water tickled down the girl's scalp. Kyu wiped her face dry, then checked the towel to see if there was any red stuff left in her hair. Nope, her hair was clean. She walked out shower cubicle, dripping water all over the tiled floor. She folded the slightly wet towel neatly, then placed it on top her head so it wouldn't get wet when she got into the spring.

"Hey," Kyu turned and saw Machi wearing nothing but a towel to cover her private parts.

"Yes?"

The woman walked closer. "Your ability. Use it on me."

"Sure. Why the sudden change of heart?"

"...I have a hunch I'm going to need it soon. Not just me, but everyone too."

Kyu gave her a weird look but didn't say anything. She reached out and touched Machi on the arm. Whatever the reason this cold female spider had decided to accept her Magic ability it didn't matter. Each promise, another ally.

"Machi, do you promise to treat me like an ally?"

"Yes."

"Penalty?"

"The same as Danchou's." _She definitely has the hots for Kuroro-san..._

"The penalty will be death. Ok?"

"Yes."

"Done." Kyu lifted her hand and started making her way to the spring. A warm hand closed around her elbow before she could reach the door.

"One more thing."

"?"

"Cover yourself with a towel. You're naked."

"...I'm taking a bath. Why the heck would I want to cover myeslf?"

"You're female."

"...Do I look like I care?"

* * *

4 p.m. , Hot Spring

Phinks could see the moon coming out in the orange sky. And Feitan was _still _in the changing room. Even Uvogin had hopped in to join the two males in the steaming pool of water. Phinks closed his eyes and sighed. What the hell was taking that shorty so long?

"UWAAAH!"

Phinks' eyes flicked open just in time to see something pale hurtling towards him. "-?!"

That particular 'something' turned out to be Kyu; running buck naked to get away from one annoyed looking Machi, who was waving a towel around like a bullfighter trying to get the attention of a charging bull. Only this bull was charging away from her.

_SPLOOSH! _Kyu cannon-balled into the water, headbutting a surprised in the process and thoroughly soaking the other two men.

"Hah! You can't make me wear that towel!" Kyu stood up triumphantly in the pool, hands on her hips. "Hahaha-"

Kyu stopped laughing. She could feel a dangerous presence looming over her. Machi smirked.

_Uh oh.  
_

One moment she was taking a deep breath, water rushed inside her lungs the very next. The girl struggled to dislodge the hand that was holding her head underwater. God, it was hot. The water seared in inside of her throat and scorched her lungs. Just when she thought she was going to die, Phinks pulled her out of the water by scruff of her neck. Kyu coughed and spluttered. Uvogin laughed heartily and slammed a fist into the girl's abdomen, forcing the water out of her lungs.

"Phinks that was mean," she panted. Sweet, sweet air.

"The hell was that you crazy kid?!"

"That was totally not my-"

Kyu gawked.

"Not your what? And I thought this was the men's side. Get the hell out of here."

Kyu kept gawking. Phinks scowled then twisted his head around to see what the fuss was. Then he too gaped.

...

"What?" Hissed the small man coming out of the changerooms.

Nobunaga was the first to recover. "AHAHAHAHAHA! So that's why- *gasp* - you took so long to come out! I'm sure the ladies will -pfft- swoon over you!" The samurai managed to splutter in his laughing fit.

Kyu's shoulders shook with silent laughter. She was laughing so hard it felt like Phinks had shoved her underwater again.

Phinks just covered his eyes in exasperation. So _that's _why he took so damn long...?

The short Chinese man was confused by their reactions. He was also starting to get pissed at their continuous bouts of laughter; laughter directed _at _him. Feitan seriously regretted leaving his umbrella in the lockers. He wasn't allowed to fight the other spider, but it'd do him some justice to carve a painful lesson in Kyu.

"What?!" Feitan snarled, eyes narrowing into threatening slits.

Machi shrugged. She had no idea what they were on about either. So she just ignored the strange noises spilling from Nobunaga and slid into the hot springs.

After a few more moments Feitan joined them, still puzzled and suspicious.

Uvogin slapped him across the back. "Don't mind those idiots. A man's gotta do what he's gotta do. There's nothin' shameful 'bout wanting several less tufts of hair."

"?" Feitan still didn't get it. He felt his head. He wasn't going bald was he?

Kyu finally regained some control over her voice and said, "What he _means, _Feitan, is to embrace your masculinity."

"Or does he?" Chuckled the samurai teasingly.

"My... masculinity? What masculinity?" What he had meant to say was: _"What do you mean by masculinity?" _but his limited vocabulary stopped him from doing so.

The result? Nobunaga laughed so hard he was banging the ground behind him with a fist, cracks spreading with each dull _thump. _Even Kyu lost her sensibility at Feitan's unintended meaning.

"WHY YOU LAUGH?!"

The spring parted like the Red Sea as the short man seethed with anger, emitting waves of powerful aura as he leaped to hi feet. Kyu clenched her jaws together, only to snort loudly at the sight of Feitan pale, muscular body.

His pale, muscular, _hairless _body.

"So what brand of hair removal products do you- hUURK!"

For the second time in 5 minutes, Kyu saw the light calling her to heaven.

* * *

When Uvogin and Nobunaga finally wrenched the fuming midget's fingers off Kyu's throat she was scary shade of purple. The torture managed to crush her vocal chords and windpipe, but no matter. Kyu felt her ability kicking in to heal her injuries. In a few seconds she could speak again. Unfortunately she would have been better off if her ability hadn't kicked in so early.

"Aw, no need to shy Feitan. We all have our hobbies and quirks~"

Feitan ripped himself away from the two men holding him and jumped on the foolish child, murder in his eyes.

* * *

Kyu cupped one hand around her broken nose and held a severed ear in her other.

This time she was wise enough to keep her mouth shut while her flesh and bones mended. Feitan had broken 7 her ribs in record time, and fractured at least another 3. So the girl was forced to slice open her chest and set the broken bones back in place so they could heal. This was a new weakness she'd discovered. Fractures were easily healed, but any bones that were shattered or out of place could not be fixed until the bone was set or the bone pieces had been removed entirely.

Tears built up in her eyes as she set her broken nose with a _crack. _Her ear had also grown back. Now all that was left...

_What am I going to do with this spare ear?_ Kyu wondered. The girl drew back her arm. Further... further... and throw! The pink blob flew over the fence and disappeared into the sunset. _Problem solved._

Kyu hopped back into the hot spring and massaged her sore nose. Feitan lounged on the opposite side of the hot spring under the strict surveillance of Machi. He seemed to have calmed down to the point he was no longer glaring at Kyu or Nobunaga.

Kyu sighed and relaxed in the hot water. Then she lazily opened one eye to look at the samurai beside her. "Hey Nobunaga, is Feitan always this touchy?"

"How'd I know? Don't you live with him or some sh*t?"

"I'd hardly call it living dude. I'm more like a personal slave who cooks his dinner. And he makes use of my gateways to get around."

"...And I thought travelling with that big smelly hunk over here was bad."

Uvogin feigned hurt. "Oi!"

Phinks waved the steam away from his face and said, "Why are you still here? This is the men's bath, get out."

"It's a shared sex hot spring Phinks..."

The pharaoh raised his invisible eyebrows. "Then what's the point of having separate doors for the guys and the girls?"

"No idea."

"Huh."

_Tock._

Now that there was more or less silence, they could hear the shishi-odoshi rocking away in the corner.

_Tock._

Kyu yawned. All those wounds she healed had used up most of her aura. She was tired; the swirling steam and the comfort of the warm water only added to her sleepiness.

_Tock._

_Hmmm... I still kinda wanna know why Feitan shaves the hair off his body before a bath..._

_Are you suicidal?_

_No?  
_

_You barely have enough mana to regenerate a finger. And Feitan will take more than a finger if you ask him again._

_But I wanna know~_

_I wish you the best of luck. _

_I wish all of us luck dammit!_

"[Hey Feitan? Still mad?]"

His poisonous glare confirmed her doubts. Nonetheless, Kyu continued. "[Why do you care so much about body hair anyway? Hey hey- chill, I'm not mocking you or anythin'. Just curious.]"

"..."

"[Aw come on, I won't tell anyone else?]"

"[Imbeciles aren't worth wasting my breath on.]"

"[Awesome. So you'll tell me right?]"

"..."

Phinks, Nobunaga and Uvogin were listening to the conversation with interest. Shame they couldn't understand a word of the exchange.

"[Are you afraid of getting bed bugs in your armpit?]"

...

...

"[...What.]"

"[You know. Bed bugs.]"

"[...Brat, stop spouting nonsense. The intelligence in room lowers with each senseless piece of shit you utter.]"

"[But bed bugs?]" Kyu dodged a fist sized rock. "[So bed bugs.]"

"[Shut up you piece of shit. Do not make shitty assumptions.]"

The child shrugged. "[Well if you're not gonna tell me... I'm just going to share with the others my assumptions.]"

Feitan growled his displeasure, then gave in. He was never going to win a Bullshit War against the queen of bullshit herself, Kyu. "[I do not _shave_, you stupid girl. Do you understand?]"

"[...So you wax instead?]"

"[Do I look like a slutty bitch to you?]" _Does he really want me to answer that? Or is he just tempting me? _"[No. I have never had the need to shave in my life. Now shut up and let me bathe in peace.]"

_Huh? Wait a sec... _"[But aren't you like eighteen or something?]"

Feitan scowled and snapped, "[I'm twenty-four.]"

"...Holy shit."

The other spiders glanced at her questioningly. Nobunaga was itching to know what they were saying. Kyu's exclamation only made him more curious.

"[Then how come you don't have a Gandalf beard? You should have a Gandalf beard.]"

"[What the fuck is a 'Gandalf?'. And no, get it into your pathetic excuse of a brain that _I have never needed to shave before._]"

"[...Oh. So like... you'll never realise your dream to grow the world's most magnificent moustache?]"

"..."

"[Or have hairy legs like other males?]"

"..."

"[Or tie your pubic hair into brai-]"

"[Shut. Up.]" He snarled. Kyu instantly shut up.

After a few moments the girl asked quietly, "[Genetic defect? It's the reason you're a bit on the short side too, isn't it?]"

Feitan didn't reply.

_So even grumpyguts has a sensitive area..._

_Blackmail?_

_...Are you seriously suggesting suicide?_

_Nevermind._

Kyu let the subject drop. Then she remembered one last thing. "[Feitan, if you weren't shaving or waxing, why'd you take so long to come out?]"

"[...None of your business.]"

* * *

_Earlier..._

* * *

"Hurry up Fei, I'm gonna wait for you outside."

The short man watched his friend leave. He stood alone in the changeroom, carefully packing his boots and his precious umbrella into a locker. Then he removed his silk garb and laid it flat on the bench. When he'd smoothed out every crease and wrinkle, Feitan began to meticulously fold the garment. One fold at a time, until it was one neat square sporting his trademark skull symbol.

The small bandit smiled and repeated the process with his pants, then his underwear.

What could he say, he like his belongings neat and tidy.

* * *

"[Feitan?]"

Feitan blinked. Why was she looking at him so strangely?

"[Don't tell me you had diarrhea for an entire hour...]"

* * *

That night, Kyu went to bed with an assortment of bruises and cuts, none of which were healing.

_Me and my stupid mouth..._

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	24. Chapter 24

**********I DO NOT OWN HUNTER X HUNTER OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS. THAT BELONGS TO NO-LONGER-ON-HIATUS-TOGASHI. HOWEVER KYU DOES BELONG TO ME SO DON'T USE HER WITHOUT MY PERMISSION.**

**I know I promised Monday, but homework D:  
**

**Enjoy!**

******************************A note before you start reading, all dialogue that looks like "[This stuff inside here with the weird brackets]" is spoken in Chinese. _Italics _are for thoughts and sound effects.**

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**

What is waking up? Is it the act of physically getting out of bed? Or is it simply regaining consciousness after a long night of rest?

Either way, Kyu refused to 'wake up' at 7 o'clock in the morning.

"Mmm..." she murmured, grasping the warm blankets. Warm blankets which were snatched away from her weak fingers the moment she pulled them closer. She tugged a corner and found resistance. No closer to shaking the fog of sleep out of her mind, Kyu opted for most instinctive and logical approach.

Gathering her pillow in one arm, the girl eased herself towards her invisible tug-of-war opponent. The source of resistance was also a good source of warmth. Kyu tucked her chin to her chest and nestled against the soft warm thing and drifted back to sleep.

* * *

Machi tread softly along the floorboards. Machi liked these floorboards, these bamboo floorboards; they reminded her of home. A home she hadn't visited in far too many years. The futons had also provided her with an excellent night's rest.

She really needn't have bothered being quiet at all, with all the noise that was coming from the furthest rooms from her own; Uvogin and Phinks created their own brand of thunder. Even Nobunaga was forced to seek refuge at the other side of the lodge.

Machi was tired. She, Uvogin and Nobunaga had spent the previous night getting rowdy over a freast of sushi, sashimi and other traditional japanese foods- and had promptly forgotten the second shortest member of the Troupe. While they were celebrating their most recent success, Feitan, who knew nothing about health and safety issues of spending 5 hours in hot water, passed out due to dehydration and heat exhaustion.

So by the time Machi _did _remember they were missing a certain someone (apart from Kyu, who'd gone to bed early from her wounds) she found the short spider looking like a boiled beet and unconscious. Her first thought was to take a few photos for blackmail; though on second thought that wasn't such a wise decision. So Machi carried him out of the hot spring instead, quickly draping a towel over his private parts and dropped him beside the one healer she knew. What she didn't know was that Kyu was completely out of aura to heal herself with, let alone someone else. Not to mention she hadn't asked Feitan to form a 'contract' to use her power.

Which brings us back to the current situation.

Sporting a minor hangover, the female spider was up early to check up on her colleague. What she saw when she got to his room, however...

Poker face. Well... she hadn't been expecting this particular development. They were adorable, like twins- twins capable of mass murder in their waking world. Now they just looked like innocent children.

"Mmm..." Were they... fighting for the quilt? _I need to get a picture of this... _pink-haired spider blinked, _This is too good._

Just when she thought things couldn't get funnier, Kyu gave up on quilt-tugging and rolled over-

-to do snuggle under the man's shoulder.

God, she needed to get a photo right now, before either of them woke up. Machi held up her camera phone.

_Click._

Perfect.

The woman snuck away, with that precious moment tucked inside her pocket. Oh, what a satisfying morning this has been.

* * *

Discomfort.

Disgust.

Dread.

Feitan scowled. Human contact- the most despicable sort of interaction between the most despicable species on this planet. And he was a victim of it. Instinctively he reached for his sword- sword...? Strange. Feitan's scowl transformed into a befuddled frown. Where did his sword go? That sword/umbrella never left his bedside. And why the hell was he naked?

That's right... the hot spring. They were at a hot spring thanks to some idiot's suggestion. And last night... he couldn't remember. From that afternoon to the point Uvogin, Nobunaga and Machi left him alone in the spring to eat dinner he recalled with ease; but after that?

Suddenly the Chinese man felt lightheaded and dizzy; lightheaded and dizzy to the point he couldn't move or think clearly. Feitan muttered some obsceneties and turned to see who the hell was stupid enough to violate his arm.

...

...

Of course. It had to be _her. _The only sane person who'd willingly put themselves into a suicidal position. On second thought, maybe she wasn't so sane after all. _Just one more reason to beat the fuck out of this piece of shit... _he thought.

But... she was wonderfully warm. Feitan scowled again. What was wrong with him? Standing in for a child's cuddle toy- Feitan really hoped there was no one near this room. He strained his ears to listen for any peeping Toms.

"Mmph..." A mass of black hair rubbed against his cheek. All he could hear was Kyu's obnoxiously loud breathing in his left ear. With one hand he tried to push her face away while crushing her skull; Kyu was saved only by his low pressure.

Screw warmth. This was getting really uncomfortable. And unhealthy, mainly for the oblivious girl. The snuggling persisted, like a puppy trying to worm its way to its mother's side. Only this 'mother' was becoming increasingly annoyed.

"[Brat get-]" hissed Feitan, feebly trying to haul the girl's head off his shoulder, "[-the fuck off!]"

"Zzz..."

Feitan absolutely _hated _being weak. Under normal circumstances, a good hard kick to her nose would wake Kyu up in less than 10 seconds, but his muscles felt like pudding on a hot day.

Something slid across his chest. To be exact, five little somethings. Kyu had given up on sleep-nuzzling and settled for giving Feitan a big sleep-hug.

That was the last straw. With a surge of cold anger and disgust rushing through his veins, Feitan pushed himself into a straddle on the girl to keep her in place, fists at the ready for a pummeling.

Then he froze. Strands of hair floated gently from the wind created by the force of his fist. He couldn't afford to _kill _her now; not after Kuroro had found some use for this brat. Feitan uncurled his fingers and let his arm drop to his side.

"[You get to live another day, you lucky piece of shit...]" The man sneered.

"Huuu...?" Kyu shifted under him. Bad move. Feitan, already starting to feel faint again, toppled like a palm tree-

-straight onto the groggy girl.

Feitan's quick reflexes stopped all of his 45kg from dropping onto the child, but he fell so far that when he landed on his elbows, his nose was barely 5 centimetres from hers. Delicate black eyelashes quivered; opened. It took Kyu a few seconds to register what she was seeing. It took Feitan's brain a few more seconds to register he was stark naked in one of the most compromising positions ever known to man.

* * *

"Oi, fatso, get your lazy ass out of bed."

"Owah... screw off Uvo... I'm not fat... zzz," Nobunaga waved his hand like he was shooing a fly away and fell alseep before finishing his comeback.

Uvogin grinned. His unlikely best friend had a bad habit of lazing around whenever he could, and usually he'd leave him be. But today... Uvogin was bored. He wanted to rush out and snap a few necks, crush a few skulls, maybe blow up a few mafia bases. Nobunaga was his favourite combat partner, and was also in charge of planning attacks and such. Therefore he needed the samurai to be awake and raring to go. Punctuality, however, was not Nobunaga's strong suit.

"You will be soon if you sleep so much!"

"Too loud... headache..."

"You drank like, what, 3 bottles of rice wine? A hangover? Really?"

"Shut up Uvo... let me sleep..."

The hairy man took a deep breath-

"WHAT THE FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK?!"

A shrill scream sounded from the room to their right before he could make so much as a squeak. Uvogin half-choked, the potentially deadly shout stuck in his throat. Nobunaga bolted upright, all traces of sleep disappeared. Even Machi rushed past their room, hair tied in an unruly knot with a toothbrush still in hand.

The two men exchanged a look, a single thought crossing their minds:

_What the fuck?_

* * *

Machi pulled a nen-thread, expecting to find an A-class bounty hunter standing over the dead bodies of her comrades. Instead she found what looked suspiciously like a case of sexual assault; pedophilia even, considering the age difference between the child and the man leaning over her- a man desperately in need of clothes. The samurai/muscleman duo arrived a split second later.

And boy did they stare.

Poor Kyu had her eyes open wide in shock, mouth gaping in a wide 'O'. Violence, pain, even a rock shoved between her teeth she could handle as a wake-up call, but waking up to come face to face with a naked version of her murderer? Her brain said 'Fuck this' and went into overload. So she had let generations of female instinct take over and didn't resist the shriek that tore itself from her lungs.

Feitan wasn't faring so well either. He was extremely pale, more pale than usual, and swayed. The sway turned into an unbalanced swing and with a moderately loud _thump _the Chinese man fainted beside the mortified girl; face-down, thankfully. Kyu regained control of her nervous system and scurried away from him, squeezing between the adults' legs to safety.

Nobunaga was the first to react.

"HOLY GODS OF- FEITAN YOU PERVERT! ON A CHILD NO LESS!"

Uvogin shook his head and clicked his tongue. He'd misjudged their interrogator for someone who had some decency.

Machi shrugged. There was no threat here, and so neither was her business. She headed back to the bathroom to finish brushing her teeth.

Phinks kept on snoring.

While Nobunaga released a long chain of 'compliments' to the unconscious man lying on the covers of the futon, Kyu peeked around the door. Having gotten over her initial shock, Kyu took note of his extremely pale complexion and frowned. Ignoring Nobunaga's warnings, Kyu went to Feitan's side and felt the soft side of his wrist. Just as she suspected. His pulse was weak and his skin was ice cold- telltale signs of low blood pressure.

"Kyu what are you-"

"Hush. I'm checking." Kyu's hand searched for her knife, then she remembered she'd left it in a locker. Sharpening her nails to a point, the girl nicked a vein and watched as the blood flowed from his wound.

_It's flowing so slowly... the colour is off too._

_Is he gonna die? Please tell me he ain't gonna die._

_Hehe~ Feitan's dying!_

_No shut up you imbeciles, no one is dying!_

Kyu turned to the two men at the door and asked, "How long was Feitan in the bath for?"

"Um," Uvogin rubbed his chin, "a coupla hours?"

"Exactly how many?"

"Four, five. I heard Machi found him."

"Hmm..." So he wasn't in any immediate danger. Long term damage? Very likely. But for now...

She grabbed him by the shoulder and rolled him to his side. Next she grabbed a handful of his silky black hair and tilted his head back, clearing his airway, then gently maneuvered his arms and legs to balance his body; now all that was left to do was wait for her patient to wake up.

"You guys go. Feitan needs medical treatment."

"That pedophile just tried to-"

"Nobu, he's sick."

"Still-"

"C'mon Nobu." A thick hairy arm wrapped around the indignant samurai's neck and dragged him away. Kyu heard a brief scuffle in the hallway, then silence.

* * *

Blurred lights. Darkness fluttered at the corners of his vision. His tongue was swollen and dry, complete with the bitter aftertaste of bile. Worst of all, there was an army march pounding against his skull; every sound amplified the agony. Feitan lifted his numb fingers, slightly surprised he had control over his digits, and rubbed his temples.

"[That won't help much.]"

The man ignored the loud- and in his opinion- obnoxious voice and kept massaging his sore head.

Kyu sighed and tried again. "[I get headaches all the time Feitan, you'd think I've learned a few tricks by now. As far as I'm concerned, the best way to get rid of a headache to sleep. Aspirin is the second best option, but since I have none you'll have to settle with the third; concentrate on something else."

Feitan spared her a glare and mumbled.

"[Didn't quite catch what you said. Though I have the feeling it rhymed with 'duck poo'.]"

"..."

"[If you want to know, everyone an hour ago; with the exception of Phinks who's still snoring over in another room.]"

"Kck..." The covers rustled as he tried to rise. Kyu supported him with an arm, but was slapped away. She shrugged and stepped out of his field of vision, then returned with a neat bundle of black which she placed in front of him.

"[Here. I retrieved your clothes, but I left your umbrella in the locker.]"

"[Turn around brat.]"

"[Please don't stab me...]"

"[What? No, I'm getting dressed you stupid piece of shit.]"

"[Right.]"

More rustling. "[Are you feeling ok Feitan?]"

"[...]"

"[Heh... dumb question. Dressed yet?]"

"[Yes.]"

Kyu faced him and clutched at his cold hand, feeling the older man flinch as their skin made contact.

"[Relax. I'm forming a contract with you, see?]"

"[Then get it over with.]"

"[Hmm...]" Now that she was actually in the position to extract a promise from her mentor, she wasn't sur_e _how she was going to ask it.

_Should I? And also... won't I be denying myself of the knowledge also?  
_

_What, you gonna chicken out? Buck buck buck!_

_The choice is yours. Or ours. Whatever you do, we have no choice but to agree._

_Yeah sure... then berate me for weeks after. 'Agree' my ass._

"[Brat.]"

_To ask or not to ask? That is the question._

_Talk about cliched. Stop ripping off Hamlet and come up with your own lines._

_Or we can always rip him apart, problem solved~!_

_Wow, this just got completely out of context very quickly._

"[_Brat. _Either hurry up and ask me a promise, or get your clammy palm off mine.]"

"[Eh? Oh, right. So Feitan... do you promise to... keep my past a secret?]"

The short assassin hesitated. "[This is not the same promise you asked from Dancho and Phinks.]"

"[Of course not! I highly doubt you even _want _to treat me like an ally, or if you even _can_.]" She had a point there. "[This promise is much more simple for you, no?]"

"..."

"[And yes, I know that if you say 'yes' to this I'll never be able to know why you slaughtered my village- though I have a hunch you tortured and killed everyone for your own sadistic pleasure- or who paid you to do it. I don't care-]"

"[Yes.]"

"[Okay! Now the fucking penalty is death; or you are you going to chicken out?]"

"[Fine.]"

It was an understatement to say Kyu was surprised by the lack of threats that normally followed her outbursts of rudeness. What surprised her more was the fact Feitan wasn't trying to shake her off as she regenerated his cooked blood cells and organs.

_Well... Hot springs do miracles..._

_Him not coughing up blood this second is more of a miracle. His lungs split in various spots, and so are his intestines.  
_

They stood there, stiffly, slightly uncomfortable with each others touch. Sensing Kyu's aura receding from his body, Feitan was the first to break away from their handshake. A roll of his shoulders confirmed her powers had worked. The headache was also fading away, which was quite a relief.

"[We leave for next job now.]"

"[And leave poor Phinks all alone? Sounds good to me! Hehe~]"

Feitan waited. He frowned at the girl when she made no move to create a gateway.

Kyu smiled cheekily and said, "[Aren't you forgetting something?]"

"[...If you're expecting gratitude, I do not give mine for free.]"

"[Wow. Such a cheapo asian... But no, I wasn't referring to that.]" Kyu made a gesture as if she was pulling along an invisible object, then lifted it to her shoulder.

She heard the torturer curse, then disappear. Kyu closed her eyes, a faint smile dancing on her lips.

Amusing. Most amusing.

She smoothed out the wrinkles in red material, then set it down next to the sliding door. Her day was looking good.

Sunny, with a chance of agony and heavy showers of pain.

Just the way she liked it.

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**Ice-cream anyone?**


End file.
